What We Do For Family
by Copper's Mama
Summary: Sam/Andy fic. Andy's mother comes back into her life, with an extraordinary request. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

_..._

_A Sam/Andy fic. _

_..._

_Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Rookie Blue. _

_..._

_A/N: Alrighty, this one is mostly Andy-centric, but will - as always - end with Sam/Andy. _

_I got the idea for this after Andy confessed that her mother abandoned her and started a new family. Suddenly, her mother comes back into her life with an extraordinary request. _

_I hope you guys like this, I know I'll love writing it. _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

...

It had been a long couple of weeks. Andy was looking forward to some rest and relaxation, hanging out with her friends at the Black Penny. Things had been weird at the division since she'd broken up with Luke, causing a lot of tension for her. Some officers respected her decision to get out before she'd ruined her career, while others thought she had been trying to sleep her way through her probation. She tried to ignore the whispers as much as she could, but it was difficult.

Her friends had really come through for her, though. And Sam had been a great help. He really looked out for her, and did his best to shut everyone up when they tried to rile her up.

She took a quick shower before heading over to the bar, quickly spotting her friends at a table across from the dartboard. Andy slipped in quietly, not wanting to disrupt one of Dov's many tales of supposed conquest.

The evening dragged on, and Andy found herself putting on a front of having fun. She ran into Sam a couple times at the bar when she went to refill their pitcher, making random small-talk with him. She would have stayed longer, but she just wasn't feeling up for it that night. Something was off ... she could feel it, but she couldn't put a name on it.

Whatever it was, she decided to try and sleep it off. She called it a night early, making her way home and shrugging out of her clothes before falling into bed.

_Tomorrow will be a better day_, she told herself.

...

They sat in the briefing room, getting their assignments for the day. Andy was paired with Sam again for street patrol in the squad car, and found herself grateful for that. He was easy to talk to, and he didn't judge her. He was a comforting presence, especially when he was cracking some joke and making her laugh, even when she half-heartedly told him to quit it.

They listened to the rest of Boyko's speech, but suddenly there was a knock at the door, and one of the secretaries poked her head in. "Excuse me," she interrupted. "Officer McNally, there's someone at the front desk asking for you."

Andy glanced from Boyko to Sam, and when they both nodded, she got up from her seat, exiting the room.

"Did you get a name?" Andy wondered as they made their way through the hallways.

The secretary shook her head. "She didn't offer. She just asked if I could track you down."

Curiosity gripped Andy, and she continued the way to the front of the division. She glanced around the room once she got there, and when her gaze settled on one of the women in the room, her heart plummeted straight into her stomach.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her arms crossing over her chest defensively.

The woman turned, spotting Andy and stepping towards her. "Hello, Andy."

She clenched her jaw, pointedly taking a step away from her. "What are you doing here?" she repeated. Her emotions were all over the place, and she could feel her throat tightening.

"Okay, I know I have a lot of explaining to do, but can we please do that later?" she asked Andy. "I need your help."

Andy's eyes widened, her entire body drenched with disbelief and sarcastic response. "Are you kidding me?" she asked, her voice raising uncontrollably.

By now, the briefing had ended, and officers were pouring through the division. She couldn't see her friends behind her, her gaze was entirely focused on the woman in front of her.

"You have no right to be here," Andy informed her. "How the hell did you even find out where I was?"

The woman sighed, fiddling with her purse. "I talked to your father."

Andy made a mental note to ask him what the hell _he'd_ been thinking. "Well, just go back to wherever you came from. Go back to your perfect, little family, and leave me alone."

Her friends exchanged worried glances, but were shuffled away by their training officers. Sam walked over to her, glancing between the two of them. "McNally, you alright?" he asked.

Andy suddenly realized that she was in the middle of her the division, and didn't want everyone to bear witness to even more of her personal life. "Yeah ... let's go, okay?"

Sam nodded, watching her try to push her way out the door, but the woman got in her way.

"Andrea, please," the woman begged, gripping her hand.

"Don't touch me," Andy gritted out, pulling her hand back. She quickly moved out of the division, making her way to their car.

Sam was thankfully silent as he started the car and pulled out of the lot, but once they were out on the street, he glanced at her and asked, "So, who was that?"

Andy sighed, staring out the window. "My mother."

...

_End of chapter one. _

_Well, what do you guys think so far? Like it, hate it? _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	2. Chapter 2

_..._

_A Sam/Andy fic. _

_Chapter Two. _

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1. _

_..._

_A/N: I'm so happy you guys liked the first chapter, and hello to all my new reviewers, and everyone who favorited/alerted this. _

_I'll respond to some reviews here: _

_**JohnnyDeppLover888:**__ Thank you for the amazing feedback, I'm glad you are enjoying the story. Yes, I will be making the chapters longer, I just wanted to set a plot-line in the first chapter, and get the ball rolling. I, too, prefer the longer stories that get more in-depth. Again, thanks for the review! _

_**00tiva0jisbon00:**__ Thanks for the review. YES, I'm going to continue, lol. Sorry guys, I wanted to post the second chapter this morning, but I didn't finish it until I was in the van on the way into the city, and then I didn't have any internet connection. _

_**Kam3910:**__ Hmm ... should I give that away? ... Nah, I think I'll leave it open. Lol, but you're not wrong ... _

_**Everyone else: **__Thanks for the great reviews, you're amazing! _

_Alright, that's enough out of me ... here's chapter two! _

_I hope you guys like this one, I know I'll love writing it. _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

...

Andy's mind was reeling. She hadn't seen her mother in fourteen years, and then she just shows up, out of nowhere, asking for her _help_? Completely and utterly ridiculous. The only thing she was willing to help her mother with was a swift kick out the door.

Andy slouched in the squad car, alternating between cracking her knuckles, and glaring out the window.

"So ... do you want to talk about this?" Sam wondered. Probably he should just let her deal with it herself, but he didn't want her going off on someone if they had to get out of the car.

Andy sighed, clenching her jaw. "Not really."

Sam nodded his head. "Okay. I get that, and I respect that it's your choice ... but we're still on the clock here, McNally. I need to know that you can focus on the job."

She turned her head towards him, reminding herself that he wasn't the problem; he was just trying to help. "I can focus. I can be pissed off, and still do my job, _sir_."

Sam held her stare for another moment before he looked back at the road, not wanting to get into an accident because he wasn't paying attention. "Okay. Good to know."

They continued the rest of the patrol in relative silence, both of them thinking about the woman who'd tracked Andy down.

...

On her lunch break, Andy walked to a deli rarely visited by the 15th division - mainly because of its poor service and questionable food - to call her dad. Her hand clenched on her cell phone, waiting for him to pick up. After the fourth ring, he finally did.

"McNally here," he spoke, clearly having just woken up.

_Probably on another bender,_ Andy told herself, trying to remain calm. "Get any visitors today, Dad?"

"Andy? Hey, slugger, what's up?" he asked, sounding like he was heaving himself up onto something. The couch, mostly likely.

"Just answer the question," she urged.

"What was the question?"

Andy sighed, shifting on the balls of her feet. "_Visitors,_ Dad! Did anyone stop by looking for me?"

"Today? No," he told her.

She could clearly hear the sounds of bottles clinking together. Andy wiped a hand over her face, forcing herself not to shout at him. "Then what about yesterday?" she asked next.

"Oh, yeah, there was ... oh," her father spoke. "Did I not call you yesterday?"

Andy pursed her lips, her anger rising. "No, Dad, you didn't."

"So, I guess your mother stopped by, then?"

"Yeah, that'd be a good guess," she answered. "What were you thinking, telling her where to find me?"

She could hear her father sigh through the phone. "Come on, Andy. Just give her a chance, hear her out. She really needs to talk to you about something -"

"No," Andy interrupted. "She gave up the chance to ask me favors when she abandoned me. If she comes looking for me again, you tell her to stay away from me."

Her father began to argue, but Andy hung up the phone. She wished she were someone else right at that moment ... someone without a screwed up family. _Does such a thing even exist?_ she wondered, making her way out of the deli to find real food before she had to return to the division.

...

The rest of the day dragged on and on. Andy wanted nothing more than to go home and soak in a very hot bath, and just forget about the drama of the day. She passed up the chance to go out for drinks with her friends, not wanting them to plunder her with questions. As far as she was concerned, she didn't have a mother, so there was nothing to talk about.

Andy turned the corner onto her street, pulling her purse forward to grab her keys. She walked with her head down, fishing through the bag as she went. When she arrived in front of her steps, she finally found the keys, looking up at her apartment.

"Hello, Andy," her mother greeted from where she sat on the steps.

Andy closed her eyes in response, gritting her teeth. "Go away," she told her, trying to walk past her.

"Andy, please don't walk away from me," her mother pleaded.

"Don't walk away from _you_? Oh, that's hilarious," Andy commented. "_You _ walked out on _me_, Audrey. Do yourself a favor and stay gone. I have no interest in knowing you."

A stray tear began leaking from her mother's eye, causing Andy to look away and laugh dryly.

"Oh, cut the act," she told her scathingly.

Audrey shook her head, wiping at her eyes. "You have every right to be upset, Andrea. You can yell at me all you want, but please, just hear me out."

Andy shook her head, staring to move up the steps to get past her.

"Please!" her mother cried out, gripping her arm. "It's about your brother."

Andy paused momentarily, glaring down at the woman holding her. "I don't have a brother."

Audrey nodded her head, not trying to wipe away the tears that were now pouring freely. "Yes, you do. He's your half-brother, and I need - he needs your help."

Andy flared her nostrils, pursed her lips, and glared down at her mother. "He's your kid, you deal with it," she stated coldly, wanting to get as far away from her as possible.

Audrey shook her head, her brown hair flying wildly. "I tried, I can't help him ... please, I need you to come with me."

"No," Andy told her.

"He's sick, Andy," her mother finally admitted. "Please, just come with me. His name is Bobby, and he's only nine years old. Please ... help him."

Andy fought with herself, wanting to tell the woman who'd abandoned her to go to hell. She wasn't even sure if she believed her.

...

_End of chapter two. _

_Well, what did you guys think of this chapter? _

_The next one will be longer, but I didn't want to give everything away in this chapter. _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	3. Chapter 3

_..._

_A Sam/Andy fic. _

_Chapter Three. _

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1. _

_..._

_A/N: Thanks for all the great feedback so far, guys! You rock! _

_I'll respond to some reviews here: _

_**nightfog:**__ Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. Lol, that was one of my favorite lines, too. I often have that sort of attitude when I'm pissed, so I was able to draw from that. I hope you like this next one! _

_**JohnnyDeppLover8:**__ Lol, definitely not offended by the suggestion. I'm glad that you liked the last chapter! _

_**..x.:**__ No, we couldn't have the mom getting sick. Lol, Andy would definitely be less inclined to help her than a little boy. We'll just have to wait and see what happens! Lol. _

_**anamarya:**__ Yes, her brother is sick. That was the idea behind the story ... sort of the only thing that could get Andy to talk to her mother would be if someone else depended on it. I don't want to give TOO much away, so we'll have to wait and see how it goes! Thanks for the review! _

_**Everyone else:**__ Thanks so much for reading and review, you guys are my muses! _

_Alrighty, that's enough out of me, let's get on with the story! _

_I hope you guys like this, I know I'll love writing it. _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

...

Andy gritted her teeth, her hands fisting at her sides. She wanted to just walk up into her apartment and completely ignore the woman who'd ruined her life. Rolling her eyes up at the sky, she spoke without turning around. "What's wrong with him?"

She heard Audrey breath in a choked-off breath of relief before she replied, "He has leukemia. He's been in and out of the hospital for over three years, now. We thought we had it beat, but then he came out of remission. The doctors want to do a bone marrow transplant, but I don't have the right genetic type ... I think that's how he put it, anyway. Neither does Harold. Please, Andy ... please, just come with me to the hospital?"

She saw red for a moment when her mother mentioned her new husband, but she forced herself to focus. If she was telling the truth about ... Bobby, then Andy's feelings about her mother would have to be set aside - temporarily.

"Please?" her mother pleaded.

Andy clenched her jaw again, turning to face her. "What hospital?"

"St. Michael's," Audrey answered. "I can take you there right now."

It was times like these that Andy _really_ wished she had her own car. "Fine," Andy told her, "but I'm driving." She held her hands out for the keys, needing to be the one in control. Plus, if she was driving, she would have something to focus on - something other than strangling the woman to within an inch of her life.

Audrey handed over the car keys without a second thought, motioning to her car.

Andy moved quickly across the sidewalk, unlocking the car and getting inside in complete silence. Her mother attempted to talk to her a few times throughout the ride, but Andy ignored her, intent only and getting to the hospital to talk to Bobby's doctor.

...

Dr. Stevenson looked over Bobby's chart, glancing over at Andy. "I don't see a mention of a sister in any of the medical history that we gathered," he told them. His eyes flickered between Andy and Audrey.

Andy spoke before her mother could. "Well, until about a half-hour ago, I didn't even know that I had a brother, let alone a sick one. Can we just get this over with?"

The doctor set the clipboard down, leading them over to the nurses' station. "It's not as simple as that," he told her. "There are forms that you will have to fill out, we'll need to do a medical workup on you as well. We can set an appointment to do that, and if everything looks good, _then_ we can set an appointment to do a bone marrow test."

"But she's here now," Audrey pleaded. "Can't we just do the test now?" She was half-convinced that Andy wouldn't come back to the hospital a second time.

"Mrs. Jacobs, there is a reason we have these procedures. If you wish to get Miss McNally's marrow tested against your son's, then this is the process we have to take," the doctor told her. He motioned for Andy to walk with him, leaving her mother to return to her son's hospital room. "I don't want to get her hopes up," he confessed to Andy. "She and her husband weren't a close enough match to donate their marrow, it's unlikely that being only his half-sister, that yours will be a match."

Andy nodded her head. "Okay ... that doesn't mean there's any harm in testing me, though."

"Certainly not," he agreed, "I just want everyone to be on the same page." He sighed, glancing down at the forms he'd picked up from the nurses' station. "Look, I don't know the situation between you and your mother, but I've been Bobby's doctor for almost three years, now. These people can't take any more disappointment. I need to know that you're committed to this. If it turns out that you're a match, I need to know you're not going to back out."

Andy took the forms from his hand, meeting his eyes. "I'm here, aren't I?"

Dr. Stevenson sighed, looking back at the nurses' station. "Fill these out, tell the nurse what they're for. I can fit you in Wednesday afternoon at two o'clock to do your medical exam."

Andy nodded her head, grabbing a pen out of her bag.

He left her to fill out the paperwork, heading back to see his other patients.

Andy found an empty seat in the waiting room, propping the papers up on her knee to fill them out. She refused to let herself think about the implications, merely filled out the necessary spaces in silence. Her mother had been telling the truth about Bobby, that much was clear. But that didn't change the way that Andy felt about her. She would do what needed to be done for Bobby, and leave it at that. If she was lucky, she wouldn't even have to meet him, or _Harold_. She wanted nothing to do with her mother's new family.

...

Andy was virtually silent throughout her shift the next day. It was Tuesday, meaning that her appointment with Dr. Stevenson was only a day away. She had already cleared it with Boyko. He'd given her the time off, asking her if she needed to talk to anyone about it. They had a psychologist on-staff to help police officers with any undue stress in their lives ... this certainly qualified.

Andy had turned him down. She didn't need to talk to anyone about it, she just needed it all to be done and over with.

Sam took notice of her odd attitude, wondering what had preoccupied her. "You alright?" he asked her on the way back from an armed robbery call at a convenience store.

"Sure," she told him, gripping the handle for the car door and dropping down into the car. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Sam shrugged as he started the engine. "You just seem a bit ... off."

Andy shook her head. "I'm fine."

Sam sighed, pausing before he pulled out onto the street. "Look, I don't expect you to tell me your whole life story, McNally. But we're partners, here ... you _can_ talk to me."

"There's nothing to talk about," she promised him.

Sam watched her for a long minute, knowing that she was holding something back from him. He didn't want to press her, figuring that it had something to do with her mother. If she wanted to talk to him about it, he would. Until then ... he would just have to watch carefully, and be prepared to help her if she needed it.

Andy was grateful that he didn't push her any further for information. She wasn't sure she wanted anyone to know about Bobby ... she wanted to be able to put this whole thing behind her once it was done. It would all just be a bad memory, one day.

Wednesday afternoon finally came upon her, and Andy made her way to the hospital. She'd called to confirm her appointment, now all she had to do was go inside, and let them give her a completely physical to be sure that she was healthy enough to donate her marrow. Andy sighed, pursing her lips together, preparing herself physically, and emotionally, to step inside the hospital.

...

_End of Chapter Three. _

_Well, what did you guys think of that one? Like it, hate it? _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	4. Chapter 4

_..._

_A Sam/Andy fic. _

_Chapter Four. _

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1. _

_..._

_A/N: I'm so glad you guys have enjoyed this story so far! _

_Here's the next chapter ... maybe we'll find out if Andy's a match or not. Lol. _

_I hope you guys like this one, I know I'll love writing it. _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

...

"Alright, all that's left are the urine and blood samples," the doctor told her.

Andy sighed, baring her left arm to him.

He prepared the needle, swabbed the area, and then once he found the vein, inserted the needle to draw the blood from her arm. Once he was done, he closed off the contained, labeled it, and set it with the rest of the information and notes that he'd gathered. Next, he handed her a cup with her information on it. "There's a bathroom down the hall," he told her. "Leave it in the case by the door when you're done."

Andy nodded, taking the cup from his hand. "And then I can leave?"

He nodded his head. "We'll have the results by tomorrow, I'll have someone call you to give you the next step."

Andy grabbed her clothes before she left, planning to change back into her uniform in the bathroom. She'd been at the hospital for almost an hour, and would definitely be late getting back as it was. She knew that Boyko would understand, but no one else at the division knew what she was doing. She didn't want anyone thinking she was getting special treatment.

Andy completed the last "step" in the process, leaving the cup of urine where she'd been instructed to. After cleaning herself up and sliding on her police gear, Andy made her way out of the hospital.

She hadn't seen her mother there - something she was very grateful for. The less she saw of the woman, the better she would be.

By the time she made it back to the division, she was almost a half-hour late. Andy rushed over to the front desk, telling the woman who'd been covering for her that she could go back to her normal duties.

Gail looked over at her out of the corner of her eye, regarding her for a long minute.

"What?" Andy asked, slightly out of breath.

"Nothing," the blonde commented, staring pointedly at room around them. "Have a good lunch break?"

Andy clenched her jaw, signing into the computer in front of her. "You know what, Gail? It's none of your business."

Gail turned her head to glare at Andy, but said nothing.

...

Andy didn't want to go home that night. At least, not alone. Luke had made a few passes at her, trying to rekindle their brief romance, but Andy didn't want to ignore a lousy situation by making an even lousier choice. So, she went out to the Black Penny with Traci and Dov, instead. She was fairly certain that her mother wouldn't track her down there.

They ordered a round of drinks, sitting at a table relatively secluded from the rest of the bar.

Traci and Dov argued back and forth over who had the best calls that day, and then they started comparing mentors. Dov liked being partnered with Oliver Shaw, because he felt that his light-heartedness and go-get-'em attitude balanced out Oliver's pessimistic one. Traci liked being partnered with Noelle, because she was down-to-earth and easy to talk to once you got to know her. That brought the discussion around to Andy.

Andy chewed on her lip, thinking about her answer. "I guess I'd have to go with Sam," Andy finally stated.

Traci grinned at that, while Dov rolled his eyes.

"What?" Andy asked them.

Dov opened his mouth to speak, but Traci waved him off.

"It's nothing. I'm sure that Swarek is an excellent training officer," Traci said.

Dov shook her hand away, looking at Andy. "What she _means_ to say is, we didn't ask which T.O. you wanted to sleep with."

Andy stared at him, shaking her head. "Sam's my training officer, nothing more. I don't even see him that way."

Dov rolled his eyes once more. "Right, I'm sure. That's why you took an extra-long lunch today."

Andy's eyes widened. "Excuse me?"

He explained, "Come on, it's practically all over the division. Everyone's placing bets on when you two are gonna come out of the closet. Peck says you were late today 'cause you had a quickie with Swarek in the field."

Andy clenched her jaw, fuming in her seat. She looked over her shoulder, seeing Gail attempting to flirt with one of the detectives from the 17th division. "Excuse me," she told the other two, standing up from the table.

Traci stood with her. "Andy, just let it go. People talk; it doesn't mean anything."

"It's easy for you to say when it's not _you_ they're talking about." Andy made a beeline for the blonde, her fists clenched at her sides. She came to a stop behind her, her chest beginning to heave with anger and adrenaline. "Gail, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Gail flicked her hair as she turned her head, glancing at Andy. "I'm a little busy, McNally."

"Well, make yourself un-busy," she suggested, stepping closer to her.

"What's your problem?" Gail asked, in a slightly louder voice, drawing the attention of the people around them.

"Oh, I'll tell you what the problem is," Andy replied. "Your big mouth, that's the problem. You're so god-damn bored, you gotta run your mouth to anyone who will listen that -"

"Okay, let's take a breather, shall we?" Sam interrupted, coming out of nowhere and stepping between them.

"No, I'm not finished," Andy said, needing to vent her anger at _someone_. Right then, Gail seemed as good a candidate as any. "This little _liar_ is gonna get -"

"Pissed drunk and make bad decisions tonight? I know, go figure," Sam intervened, leading Andy towards the door. "I'm sure she doesn't need your help for that."

Andy struggled with him, but he succeeded in pushing her out of the bar. "Would you let go?" she gritted out, shimmying away from him once they were outside.

He let her go, his gaze following her. "Wanna tell me what that was all about?"

"Not particularly," she told him, placing her hands on her hips and pacing about.

Sam stared her down, blocking the doorway to the bar.

"Alright, fine," Andy relented, stepping towards him. She'd wanted to vent her anger, and he'd pretty much forced his way between her crosshairs. "_That_ was about the fact that everyone at the division thinks that we're sleeping together, and Gail decided to tell everyone that I was late coming back from lunch today, because I had stop off on the way to have a quickie with you out in the field."

Sam was silent, soaking it all in.

"Happy now?" she asked him.

Sam sighed, his head turning back towards the bar for a second before he met her eyes again. "I'm sorry, alright? This is the first I've heard of it."

"Well, that's a relief."

Sam stared down at her, wondering at her attitude. She wasn't normally short with him, aside from that first day in the locker room ... only he'd been the pissed off one then, not her. "So, you wanna tell me what else is going on?"

Andy clenched her jaw, turning around. "I'm going home."

Sam followed her, falling into step beside her. "Come on, McNally, talk to me."

Andy stopped sharply, turning to face him. She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the sounds of her phone ringing. She let out a small growl, fishing the phone out of her pocket. She didn't bother to check the caller ID before she answered it, flipping it open and bringing it up to her ear. "What?" she asked in a slightly annoyed voice.

Sam raised his eyebrows, waiting patiently for her to finish her conversation with whoever was on the other end.

"Andy, it's me," her mother told her.

Andy sighed, her head dropping back as her eyes closed. "What do you want, Audrey?" She refused to call her 'mother'.

There was a momentary pause, and then her mother spoke. "We got the results back from your check-up today," she explained. "They gave you the all-clear."

Andy slowly brought her head back down. "I thought the results weren't going to be in until tomorrow?"

Sam furrowed his brow at that, realizing that the conversation had to do with something medical. He immediately wondered if Andy was sick.

"Dr. Stevenson was going to wait to call you until tomorrow, but he wanted to tell me right away. I went ahead and booked you an appointment on Saturday, all you have to do is call and confirm."

Andy glanced at Sam before turning and taking a few steps away. "I don't need you to make the appointments for me, Audrey. I still have to talk to my boss and make sure I can get the time off."

"Well, can't you call him now?" her mother wondered.

"No, I'm on the phone with you," Andy retorted in a snappy voice.

"I can hang up if -"

Andy cut her off. "Look, I'll talk to him tomorrow, okay? If Saturday is the soonest that he can see me, then I'm sure it can wait twelve hours so I'm not interrupting his evening." After a moment of silence, Andy asked, "How did you even get this number?"

"I asked your father," Audrey told her.

Andy clenched her jaw once more, adding a slight stomp to her feet as she paced in a circle. "Well, when this is all over, feel free to lose this number."

"Andy, I -"

She didn't get a chance to finish, as Andy snapped the phone closed. She sighed, looking down at the ground while she tried to steady her breathing.

"What's going on?" Sam wondered, walking up behind her.

Andy stretched out her jaw muscles, turning to face him. "Nothing. I'm gonna head home now."

Sam stopped her with a hand on her arm, looking her up and down. He noticed the puncture mark on her inner elbow from the needle, deducing that she'd been at the hospital earlier today. "Let me drive you home."

"I'm fine walking," Andy told him.

"And risk you attacking all the gussied up blondes out there?" Sam shook his head. "Come on, I insist."

Andy almost laughed at that, finally conceding defeat. "Okay ... thanks."

They made their way to his car, both of them thinking about the conversation she'd had on the phone. Sam tried to figure out why Andy try to hide the fact that she would be in the hospital twice in one week. He worried that she was sick, but he didn't voice the concern. He wanted to do a bit more digging before he could be sure of anything.

He really hoped that she wasn't sick, though.

...

_End of chapter four. _

_Well, what did you guys think? _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	5. Chapter 5

_..._

_A Sam/Andy fic. _

_Chapter Five. _

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1. _

_..._

_A/N: Thanks so much for all your reviews so far, I'm glad you guys are enjoying this story. _

_Here's the next installment! _

_Yeah ... I'm not in too chatty of a mood, so let's get on with it, shall we? _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

...

Andy checked the time of the appointment on Saturday, clearing it with Boyko. She thought about asking him if he'd heard the rumors going around about her and Sam - only so that she could tell him that they were untrue - but then thought better of it. If there was a problem, or if he believed the rumors, then she was sure that he would have pulled both of them into his office to hash it out. Or at the very least prevent him from being her training officer anymore.

She could no longer look at her coworkers in the same light as before. So far, she hadn't had to work with Gail again, but it had only been two days. The blonde had been smart and steered clear of her, and Andy could tell that Traci was trying to shield her from what the other officers at the division were saying about her.

Andy tried to tell herself that she didn't care what they thought, that all that mattered was that she _wasn't_ sleeping with Sam, but she couldn't lie to herself for long. A good reputation was very important to a cop, and she didn't want to be known throughout her career as the rookie cop who slept her way to the top. She would leave that to Gail.

Andy noticed that she'd grown a lot more bitter in the last week. Whether it was because of her mother, or because of the stupid rumors, she didn't know.

Andy checked her watch for the twelfth time. It was just past eleven o'clock. In less than twenty-four hours, she would be lying on a gurney while a huge needle was shoved into her hip to withdraw her bone marrow for testing.

She'd called her father, asking him to pick her up from the hospital when she was done. The doctors had told her that after the marrow was retrieved, she would need to rest her hip for a while. It wouldn't do any damage if she was walking around, but it would hurt like hell. Andy was supremely grateful that Boyko had given her the day off. She assured him that she would make up the hours as soon as she could, but he told her that they would worry about that later.

"Somewhere you gotta be?" Sam asked her, glancing at her next to him.

Andy shook her head, lowering her arm back to her side. "Nope."

Sam sighed, strumming his fingers on the steering wheel. "Look, I'll talk to Peck," he told her. "I can have her written up, if you want?"

Andy turned to face him, considering his offer. It was definitely appealing. "It's fine," she told him with a sigh. "It won't change anything, anyway."

He had noticed her change in attitude lately, and it worried him. He wanted to just come out and ask her if she was sick, but he doubted that she would give him an honest answer. "Well ... look, the offer to talk still stands. I'm here if you need to talk."

Andy chewed on her bottom lip while she looked out of the window. She almost took him up on his offer. She actually really wanted to talk to someone about what was going on ... but she didn't know if that person was Sam. Maybe Traci ... she wouldn't try to fix the situation, or tell her what to do ... she'd just listen.

...

"Are you sure you don't want sedation for this?" the nurse asked her for the third time.

Andy groaned, lying on her side, waiting for it to just be done and over with. "If you sedate me, you'll have to admit me," she reminded her. "I'm not staying here any longer than I have to."

The nurse sighed, waiting for the doctor to come in. "Are you sure you don't want me to call anyone? This is going to be quite painful, and -"

"I'm fine!" Andy assured her, growing more and more inpatient with every second that passed.

"Well, looks like I'm in the right room," Dr. Stevenson announced as he walked in.

_Finally,_ Andy thought. "Sure are," she spoke, turning her head to look at him.

The doctor glanced over the notes from the nurse, then with a nod, told her to administer the numbing anesthesia for the skin around the area. "I see you've declined the sedation?"

Andy rolled her eyes, dropping her head onto the pillow. "Yes, I have. Yes, I'm sure. No, I don't want you to call anyone, and no, I'm not going to reconsider. Now that we've done a full circle on this merry-go-round, can we just get this over with?"

He smiled down at her, taking the needle from the tray by the bed. "Sure." He moved towards her, moving the material of her hospital gown aside so that he could get at her hip.

Andy clenched her jaw, preparing herself for the pain. She felt the needle slip into her body, though it wasn't _too_ bad until it made its way to the bone. Her body tensed uncontrollably, and she gripped the side of the mattress with her hands, a light whimper escaping her lips.

"Just breathe," the doctor told her, fully inserting the needle into her. Once it was in position, he started to retrieve the marrow for testing.

Andy breathed in short pants, in and out through her nose. The pain was almost more than she could take, and she found herself screwing her eyes shut. Her hands gripped the bed so hard that her knuckles were completely white, she almost thought that she was going to pass out. High pain tolerance, she did not have.

Finally, the doctor was finished, and he retracted the needle.

The nurse came in quickly with a square of gauze, sealing it over the small hole the needle had made to stop the spread of blood.

Andy's chest heaved, but she'd survived the test. "How soon will I know if I'm a match or not?" Andy asked, her voice slightly high and breathy.

The doctor looked down at her with a frown, his hand momentarily resting on her arm. "We should know in a couple days. Just remember ... don't -"

"Get my hopes up," Andy finished for him quickly. "Yeah, I got it."

He nodded, patting her arm once before leaving the room with the sample of bone marrow.

The nurse took the opportunity while she attached a fresh piece of gauze to the skin and taped it in place to talk to Andy some more. "You know, the word is that you don't even know this boy, and you're willing to give him your marrow."

Andy blinked, lying still in the bed. "So?"

"So, I think that's really great," the nurse continued. "I mean, it's so selfless and -"

"The only reason that I am doing this," Andy informed her, "is so that my pitiful excuse for a mother will stop stalking me. Nothing more, nothing less. Besides, it's more likely that I won't even be a match, so in a couple of days, this whole thing will be done and over with. That sound great to you? 'Cause it sure does to me." She knew that she was being snappy, and she wasn't even sure if she believed what she was saying, but she just wanted the nurse to leave her alone, and stop telling her what a great thing she was doing.

The nurse finished her work in silence, sliding Andy's gown back into place. "Remember that you're supposed to lie still for at least fifteen minutes before you try to move. Make sure that whoever is picking you up knows that you need your rest."

Andy nodded her head stiffly, keeping her eyes trained on the wall in across from her. She didn't see the nurse leave, but she knew that she was gone. Glancing at her watch, Andy knew she had a least fifteen minutes before her father would be there to take her home.

...

Andy punched the numbers into the phone beside her bed, feeling herself growing more and more annoyed. Her father was supposed to be there to pick her up twenty minutes ago.

She'd tried to leave the hospital on her own, but she'd been busted by one of the nurses on her way to get her clothes. They'd told her she couldn't leave until someone was there to pick her up, and when Andy tried to smart-mouth them, an older, more experienced nurse told her that just because she wasn't a patient there yet, didn't mean she didn't have to authority to sedate her. Andy was fairly certain that this wasn't true, but she didn't want to push her luck. So, she had to for confirmation that her ride was in the hospital before they would let her get ready to leave.

The phone rang over and over, but no one picked up. _I swear, you had better not be passed out on the floor again,_ Andy intoned, envisioning her father lying on the floor with a half-empty bottle tucked into the crook of his elbow. _I can't believe I actually thought I could depend on him_.

She tried his number a few more times, to no avail. Dr. Stevenson noticed that she was still there, and suggested that she get her mother to take her home, but Andy quickly dissuaded him from that line of thought.

Dialing the number of the only other person that she could count on, Andy waited for her to pick up the phone.

"Nash here," Traci greeted as she answered her cell phone.

"Hey, it's me," Andy told her. "Can you get away for like, a half an hour?"

"Why, what's wrong, Andy?" Traci wondered.

She sighed, wishing that her father had shown up. "I'm at the hospital."

"What? Which hospital? What happened?" Traci's concern for her friend was clear with every word.

"Nothing happened," Andy assured her. "I'm fine, I just need a ride home. My dad was supposed to be here, but he didn't show." _Big surprise,_ she added in her head.

There were muffled noises on the other end of the line, but Andy couldn't make them out.

"Traci, you there?" she asked.

Two seconds later, her friend's voice could be heard again. "Yeah, sorry Andy. I'll be there in a few minutes."

Andy sighed with relief. "Thanks." She listed off her room number, grateful that she could count on her. She hung up the phone and slid it back into its spot, glancing out at the nurses' station. No one was watching her, so she tried again to make a dash for her clothes. She barely made it across the room to the closet, and had to take a minute to breath once she got there. _Man, that hurts!_ she thought to herself, breathing slowly through her nose.

"Miss McNally, are you okay?" one of the younger nurses asked her.

She nodded her head, grabbing her clothes from the closet.

"Miss McNally, I thought we made it clear that you weren't supposed to leave until someone arrived to pick you up," the nurse told her, coming to her side to help her to the bed.

"Someone is on their way," Andy told her, wincing in pain as she tried to slide up onto the bed.

The nurse glanced down at her sympathetically. "Do you need a pain reliever? I can see if the doctor will write you a prescription ...?"

Andy shook her head. She just wanted to get out of there. "No, I'll be fine."

"Well, you should lie back on the bed, at least," the nurse stated, trying to get her to lie back.

Andy pushed her hands away, trying to be firm but pleasant. "Really, I'm fine. I just need to get my pants on."

The nurse offered to help her, but she shook her head repeatedly, determined to do it herself. She wasn't an invalid, and even though she was in quite a bit of pain, she did _not_ need to be dressed by a stranger.

She was working on getting her legs into her pants when she heard Traci's voice outside of her room.

"Can you tell me where Andy McNally's room is?" she asked one of the nurses. She was given the information, and headed straight for her room.

"Andy?" she asked, poking her head in. Once she saw her on the bed, she immediately made her way over. "Hey, what happened?" she asked.

Andy shook her head. "I'll explain later. Right now, I just want to get home before anyone else sees me like this."

Traci pursed her lips, glancing back out into the hall.

Andy eyed her suspiciously. "What?"

"Well ... I was out in the car when you called, and I couldn't exactly come alone ..." Traci trailed off, looking between Andy and the door.

Andy sighed, her head hanging a bit. "Who else is here?"

Sam poked his head in the room, seeing them both by the bed. "Knock, knock?"

Andy groaned, wishing that she could flop back against the bed without it hurting.

...

_End of chapter five. _

_Well, what did you guys think of that one? Like it, hate it? _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	6. Chapter 6

_..._

_A Sam/Andy fic. _

_Chapter Six. _

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1. _

_..._

_A/N: I'm so glad you guys have enjoyed this story so far! _

_I'll respond to some reviews here: _

_**Kam3910:**__ You were right with your first thought. Sam was Traci's training officer for the day, and he was in the car next to her when Andy called. Because Sam knew she was talking to Andy, he went into the hospital with her. _

_**..x.: **__I thought about having her call Sam instead, but then decided that if she was going to tell any one of her friends about what was going on, it would be Traci first. Thanks for the review!_

_**twotoe:**__ I'm not sure if someone would NEED to stay with her, but perhaps someone will anyway ... hehe, we'll have to wait and see. _

_**Fly On By:**__ Lol, don't worry, I never get upset over "constructive" criticism. And yes, I have been writing an angrier Andy than we see on the show, but that is because I feel that - given her animosity about her mother that we've seen - if her mother were to come back into her life, it would stir up many feelings, the foremost being anger. Since she doesn't want to see her mother, she is - in my fic - venting those frustrations on whomever is closest. Now, this doesn't mean that she is going to be SO angry throughout the entire fic, it will be slowly dialed down, as it would be way OOC to have her suddenly be all sunshine and daises. Anywhoo, I'm glad you're enjoying the fic so far, and I hope that this has helped you! _

_**Everyone else:**__ Thanks for the great reviews, you guys are amazing! _

_Alright, that's enough out of me. Let's get on with the story. _

_I hope you guys like this, I know I'll love writing it. _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

...

They convinced Sam to wait outside the room while Andy - with Traci's help - got dressed.

Andy was happy that she didn't have to try to struggle into her uniform ... it would be too tight of a fit, and she was in too much pain to put up that big of a fight. Even so, the jeans she'd worn on the way in weren't exactly comfortable. _Shoulda brought sweats,_ Andy berated herself, sliding on her upper clothes by herself.

"So, do you want to tell me what's going on here?" Traci asked her.

Andy pursed her lips. "Not really."

"Are you decent yet?" Sam asked from outside the door.

Andy wanted to say no, but Traci beat her to the punch. "We're all clear in here, sir."

Andy glared pointedly at her, but Traci shrugged her shoulders. "Hey, maybe if I'd known anything about what was happening here, I could have ditched him."

"No, you couldn't have," Sam corrected, stepping up beside her.

"Sorry," Traci spoke quietly, stepping back to give them some room.

Andy sighed, pulling herself up from the bed once more. "Can we go now?"

"Sure," Sam replied. "Just as soon as you tell me what you're doing here."

She groaned in response, attempting to move across the room and away from him, but her movements were stiff, and he could clearly see that she was in pain.

"Nash, go grab a wheelchair from the nurses," he instructed to the other woman, before turning his attention back to Andy. "Come on, McNally, what's going on here?"

Andy shook her head, forcing her lips together as she breathed through her nose. She was working very hard to not show how much pain she was really in. "Nothing."

Sam shook his head, his hand coming out to touch her wrist. "Talk to me."

Andy sighed, wishing that she could just pass out from the pain already ... it would get her out of the awkward situation. "I'm just ... having some tests run."

Sam stared down at her. "Are you sick?" He almost didn't want to know the answer.

Andy pursed her lips, thinking carefully. "Well, I won't know until the tests come back." She knew she'd likely pay for the lie later, but she just didn't want to talk to Sam about her mother, and everything that was happening.

Traci came back in with the wheelchair, putting an end to the conversation. "Okay, let's get you home," her friend said, helping her down into the chair.

Andy winced at the pain, but managed to settle into a position that didn't leave her in too much discomfort.

...

They took her to her apartment, Sam insisting that they stay until she had everything that she needed. They got her water and food, and Sam even moved her television into her bedroom so that she could watch it without having to deal with the uncomfortableness of the couch. He made her keep her house phone and her cell phone beside her, informing her that he would call her every fifteen minutes to make sure that she was okay, and see if she needed anything.

Andy finally had her apartment all to herself, but the downside of that was that it left her alone with her thoughts.

She thought about how Dr. Stevenson talked about her mother - and her family. He talked about them as though he cared about them, as though they were good people, who didn't deserve what they were going through. He talked about them as though they hadn't completely ruined her life.

Andy realized that the doctor didn't have the history with them that she did, he didn't know her mother like he did. And somehow, that made it worse. She had no love for her mother, that was a plain and simple fact. ... But it hurt to know that there were people out there who got to know a side of her that Andy never did. It hurt to know that she hadn't walked out on this family ... that she loved her son so much that she was willing to confront her child whom she had abandoned; a child who now hated her with every fiber of her being.

Andy sank back against the mattress, pressing her weight on her right side, so that her sore left side could rest.

Sam's first phone call was prompt, but his second one was running late. Andy glanced at her clock, wondering why he hadn't called like he said that he would. She supposed that he might be preoccupied with actual police work, and it wasn't as though she'd been the one to ask him to call her ... but it was still disconcerting.

Until she heard a knock at her front door, followed by the sounds of keys in the lock.

No one had the keys to her apartment, and she found herself growing worried. She wasn't in much of a state to defend herself.

"Don't worry, McNally, it's just me," Sam announced as he walked in the door, seeming to sense her distress, even though he couldn't see her yet.

Andy sighed in relief, but was still curious as to why he was there. "What are you doing here?" she asked him, seeing him come into view.

"I'm on my lunch break," he explained simply. He held up a bag of take-out as evidence.

"And you're _here_ because ...?" Andy wondered again.

Sam shucked his police jacket, dropping himself down beside her on the bed, one of his legs crossing over the other. "_Because_ I'm not comfortable with you left alone. Not after whatever _tests_ they were doing at the hospital, that you seem to want to keep to yourself. You're my rookie, McNally. It's my job to keep an eye on you."

"I'm pretty sure that only applies when we're working together, not on my days off," Andy tried.

Sam shrugged. "Well, you can look it up when you're in tomorrow," he told her. "Now, eat up." Sam pulled the containers out of the bag, handing Andy a fork and chopsticks. "I wasn't sure how talented you were," he joked, referring to the chopsticks.

Andy grabbed the sweet and sour pork, narrowing her eyes at him before picking up the chopsticks. With practiced skill, she easily plucked out a piece of pork and slid it into her mouth.

Sam grinned. "Good to know," he replied, before picking up his own pair of chopsticks and digging into the chow mein.

"Don't get any on my bed," Andy scolded him, as a stray noodle dropped onto his chest.

He might have stuck his tongue out at her, if his mouth hadn't been so full.

...

They were about fifteen minutes into the meal, watching an old movie on Andy's television, when there was a knock on the door.

Andy considered telling them to go away, but she figured it might be her dad coming to explain why he hadn't shown up. "Can you ...?" she asked Sam.

He nodded, setting down his container and hopping off the bed. Sam trotted to the front door, unlocking the deadbolt before flipping the door open. A tall, brown-haired woman was standing on the other side. "Yes?"

"Um, I'm sorry ... I might have the wrong apartment," she spoke in a jittery voice. "Does Andy McNally live here?"

Sam nodded his head. The woman looked familiar, but he couldn't quite place her. "Yeah, but she's sort of busy right now. Is there something I can do for you?"

Audrey pursed her lips, adjusting her purse on her shoulder. "Well, it's something I need to talk to her about. I missed her at the hospital today, and -"

"Oh," Sam spoke. He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head, studying her. After a moment, it clicked. "You're her mother?"

Audrey nodded her head. "Yes. I really do need to talk to her, can I come in? I would have called, but ..." she trailed off, not really wanting to explain to a complete stranger that her daughter probably would have just hung up on her.

"Um, just wait here a second," Sam instructed, closing the door and making his way back into the bedroom.

"Who was it?" Andy wondered, poking at her fried perogies.

Sam shuffled his feet for a moment before he answered, "Your mother."

Andy looked up at him, the perogie hung in the air. "What does she want?"

"To come in and talk to you," Sam relayed. "Do you want me to let her in?"

Andy considered her options. If she let her mother in, then she would be forced to listen to whatever it was that she had to say now - it wasn't like she could run off. On the other hand, if she told Sam to get rid of her mother, she would likely be obligated to explain what was going on, and she wasn't ready to do that, either. Chewing on her lip, Andy sighed. "Yeah, fine."

Sam nodded, returning to the front door. He hoped the door again, letting her inside. "She's this way," he told her, leading her to the bedroom.

Audrey followed the police officer, her eyes trailing down to take in the sight of him as she went. He was definitely an attractive man. She wondered if he was Andy's boyfriend. She brought her eyes back up once they got back into the room, taking in the sight of her daughter on the bed.

"Can you give us a minute, Sam?" Andy asked, not wanting him to overhear their conversation.

Sam nodded, plucking his fried rice off the bed and making his way out of the room.

Andy heard the tap run in the kitchen after a moment, and figured he was getting himself a drink. She turned her attention back to her mother. "What do you want?" she asked in a quiet voice.

Audrey sighed, deciding to get right down to the point. "Well, I was talking to Harold, discussing whether or not we should tell Bobby about what was going on, and -"

"The short version, _please_," Andy insisted, dropping the perogies onto the bed beside her while she crossed her arms.

Audrey sighed, stepping forward. "He wants to meet you."

Andy's face crinkled in surprise and confusion. "Why would Harold want to meet me?"

Audrey shook her head. "Not Harold ... Bobby."

Andy blinked, feeling her temperature rising, though she wasn't sure if it was anger or worry that was heating her up. "No."

Audrey stepped further into the room. "Please, Andy ... it would mean so much to him. He never knew he had a sister, and -"

"He doesn't have a sister," Andy corrected. "He has half of a bloodline that is trying very hard to not talk herself out of doing the right thing. I went and got tested, I did my biological duty. I want nothing more to do with you, _Audrey,_ and I have no interest in putting on a show for a sick boy. Now if you don't mind, I was in the middle of something. You can let yourself out."

Her mother wanted to argue the matter, but she could tell that it was a losing battle. "Well, just ... think about it, please?" She didn't wait for an answer, just turned and left the room.

A few seconds later, Andy heard the telltale sound of her front door closing. She waited a moment, and then Sam made his way back into the room. The look on his face told her that despite her efforts, he'd heard the conversation.

"So ... who's Bobby?" he wondered.

...

_End of chapter six. _

_Well, what did you guys think so far? Like it, hate it? _

_I know, Andy is still quite snappy and angry, but I will be SLOWLY dialing that back. _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	7. Chapter 7

_..._

_A Sam/Andy fic. _

_Chapter Seven. _

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1. _

_..._

_A/N: Wow, thanks for the speedy reviews, guys. _

_I'll respond to some of the reviews here: _

_**.Naxen:**__ (love the name, by the way) Yes, it would be so much easier to just come clean and tell the truth ... we'll have to see what Andy does in this next chapter! Thanks for the review! _

_**twotoe:**__ The animosity towards her mother will always be there, that's a given. So that won't change a whole lot, but more Andy's attitude in general, such as being snappy with Sam, or with the nurses at the hospital, and her father. That sort of thing. In regards to the pace of the story: well, this story is mainly about what's going on with Andy's 'family', with Sam/Andy as a second plot-line. But, don't worry, we will get to see some Sam/Andy goodness eventually. Thanks for the review! _

_**SPNAngel16:**__ In chapter 2, Audrey tells Andy that Bobby is 9. I wanted a younger sibling for Andy, and I believe childhood leukemia generally affects children aged 4-8. So, Bobby's been battling his disease for a while now. Thanks for the review! _

_**Everyone else:**__ Thanks for the great reviews, you're wonderful!_

_Alright, that's enough out of me, let's get on with the story, shall we?_

_I hope you guys like this, I know I'll love writing it. _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

...

Andy shifted against the mattress, feeling a bit like a deer caught in the headlights. She had too options: she could tell him it was personal, and that she didn't want to talk about it, or she could come clean and tell him the truth. It wasn't as though she could lie to him again; he wasn't a moron, and he undoubtedly already knew that she wasn't the one who was sick. She sighed through her nose, begrudgingly making her decision. "He's a boy at the hospital."

Sam nodded his head, stepping further into the room. "And you know him?"

"Not exactly," Andy replied, feeling as though she were being interrogated.

"You're not sick, are you?" he asked her.

Andy shook her head.

Sam sighed, mostly with relief. "Then why did you let me believe that you were?"

Andy shrugged. "'Cause I don't really want to talk about why I was really at the hospital."

He sat next to her on the bed. "Come on, McNally ..."

Andy was silent.

"Alright, if you won't tell me, then why don't I tell you what I know?" Sam didn't wait for her to respond. "I know that since your mother has come back into your life, things have been different. _You've_ been different, and you've been acting differently. I know that this Bobby kid is sick, and knowing you, you're trying to help him. I assume that Bobby is your mother's son, which would make him your brother. So, whatever is wrong with him, they are testing you because of your genetic similarities. How am I doing so far?"

Andy sighed, glancing up at him. "Pretty much right on the money."

Sam nodded his head. "What I don't understand is, why you felt like you had to keep this from everyone?"

"Because people already know enough of my business," she told him, her mind automatically jumping to the fact that everyone thought she and Sam were sleeping together. Him coming by on his lunch break to keep her company probably wasn't helping that rumor. "And," she continued, "I just figured if I didn't talk about it, then I could just put it behind me, like it never happened. "

Sam nodded his head in understanding. "So ... what's wrong with him?"

Andy figured there was no point in lying anymore, so she picked up her container once more, prodding absently at the perogies within. "He's got leukemia."

Sam sighed, feeling sorry for the boy. "That's rough."

Andy nodded her head. Honestly, she hadn't given the kid much consideration until then. She hadn't wanted to let herself think about him. Now, he was stuck in her mind. Not just because her mother told her that he wanted to meet her, but also because talking about it with Sam did exactly what she hadn't wanted it to do: made it all real. Somehow, now that it was all out in the open, it was so much more serious.

"So, you don't want to meet him, huh?" he asked her, digging back into his rice.

Andy shrugged her shoulders. "He's not my brother. I mean, biologically, yeah. But up until now, I've had no attachment to him at all. I didn't even know he existed."

"But now you do."

Andy groaned, hating in insightfulness.

After a beat, Sam asked, "So, how old is he?"

Andy looked over at him with a shrug. "I think she said he was nine."

Sam nodded his head. "That's gotta be rough."

They sat in silence, watching some more of the movie on the television before Sam had to return to his shift. He told her again that he would call her every fifteen minutes to check up on her, and then he was gone.

Andy was left alone with her thoughts, thinking about things that she'd been unable to let herself consider before.

...

Her hip was still sore, but it was much more bearable now then it had been the other day. Andy was back at work, riding the desk until Boyko thought she was ready to go back out in the squad car.

Dov sat next to her, tapping a pen repeatedly against the counter, hoping for someone to come in and report a crime; something, anything.

Andy was just trying to get through the day. Her mind was constantly racing, unable to forget about what Sam had said. He was right ... she might not have known about her brother before, but she certainly did now. Just because his mother was terrible, didn't mean that he was. He was sick, and he wanted to meet her. If she were in his place, would she want to meet herself? She honestly didn't know.

After thinking about it for several hours, she decided that she would wait until they knew the results of the bone marrow test. If it was negative - which it probably would be - then her mother would have no further use for her anyway, and she could go back to her life as it was. If it was positive ... well, she'd cross that bridge when it came to it.

She called her mother on her lunch break, working to keep the animosity out of her voice. It was difficult, to say the least.

Audrey thanked her, and began gushing about how thrilled Bobby would be if she said yes, and Andy responded by closing the phone sharply.

...

By Tuesday afternoon, Andy was feeling much better. Her sore hip was but a distant memory, she and Traci had made a pretty serious bust the day before, and she'd prevented an almost-robbery at her regular coffee shop.

All in all, things were looking up.

She hadn't heard from anyone at the hospital - or her mother, thank goodness - and Andy began wondering if the test had come up negative, and no one had bothered to tell her. She could see her mother doing that - cutting her out of her life once again, now that she was no longer useful.

Andy was annoyed by the fact that it surprised her. By all rights, it shouldn't. She knew what kind of woman her mother was, so it really shouldn't surprise her that she would only stick around if she thought she was getting something in return.

But, Andy decided that she wouldn't let herself be upset about it. It was done and over with, and she was moving on. It was what she'd wanted, after all ... to just put this all behind her and move on with her life.

"You're looking chipper," Sam commented. "What, did you rescue a cat from a tree this morning?"

Andy rolled her eyes at him, grinning at that. "Nope. Just having a good day. Is that a crime?"

Sam shook his head, wondering at her sudden relaxed attitude. "Not at all. So, things are good then?"

Andy nodded her head. "Yeah. I think so."

Her phone rang, breaking her out of her reverie. She dug it out of her pocket, flipping it open and placing it against her ear without bothering to check the number. "Yes?"

"Hello, is this Andy McNally?" a woman asked her.

"Yes, it is," Andy replied. "Who am I talking to?"

"I'm calling from St. Michael's, Ma'am," the woman told her. "I was instructed by Dr. Stevenson to give you a call. The results for your bone marrow test are in, and he would like you to come in later this evening, if that's convenient?"

Andy blinked, her previous mood vanishing.

"Ma'am?" the woman asked. "Are you still there?'

Andy swallowed the lump that had suddenly built up in her throat. "Uh, yeah, I'm here." She could feel Sam's eyes on her, but didn't turn to face him.

"Okay, well he has an opening at seven o'clock this evening, is that suitable for you?" the woman asked her.

Andy pursed her lips together, only now noticing that she'd forgotten to breathe. "Yeah, that's fine."

"Alright, I'll let him know," she spoke through the phone. "Have a good afternoon." And with that, she hung up.

Andy closed the phone slowly, looking down at her hands.

"Something wrong?" Sam asked her.

Andy brought her head up to look at him finally, the humor gone from both of their eyes. "That was the hospital ... they got the results in."

...

_End of chapter seven. _

_Well, what did you guys think of that one? Like it, hate it? _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	8. Chapter 8

_..._

_A Sam/Andy fic. _

_Chapter Eight._

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1. _

_..._

_A/N: Thanks for all the amazing reviews so far! You guys rock! _

_I'll respond to some reviews here: _

_**put135:**__ Thanks for the review. I will be introducing more Sam/Andy scenes as the story progresses. I'm not sure yet how long the story will be, and that will determine the pace of their relationship. I don't like writing "established" fics, 'cause my favorite part is the "lead up" to the relationship. But, we'll see how it goes. _

_**Cythera:**__ (sorry, for some reason it won't let me put your whole username with the dots in it). I think that Sam would definitely be very protective over Andy, especially since he knows how her mother has treated her in the past. But, we'll have to see if Andy asks him to come with her or not ... Thanks for the review!_

_**bonesliver13:**__ Well, I already know if Andy's marrow will match or not, so I don't want to give too much away. But I will say this: if it didn't match, I don't think Andy would stay to help her mother. I think that she would want to still be a part of her brother's life. If it did match, then I'm sure Andy would be conflicted, as up until this point, she's been banking on her marrow not matching Bobby's. We'll have to wait and see where it goes! _

_**Oceangirl101:**__ Thank you for pointing out the typo. I hate when little things like that sneak through, but it has been fixed now. Thanks for the review!_

_**Braelyn Rae:**__ Thank you for the wonderful and funny review. I'm happy that my characterization of the characters has been so accurate so far, and I'm super glad that everyone has noticed! I'm glad you're liking the story so far! _

_**Everyone else:**__ Thanks for the wonderful reviews, you make me smile!_

_Alright, that's enough out of me, let's get on with the next chapter!_

_I hope you guys like this, I know I'll love writing it. _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

...

Andy paced back and forth in the waiting room, her gaze constantly flickering to the clock on the wall. Her meeting with the doctor was in five minutes - though it felt as though time had slowed down just to torment her. She'd only been at the hospital for ten minutes, and it already felt like an hour.

"Miss McNally," said once of the nurses, having recognized her from her bone marrow test. "Are you here to see Dr. Stevenson?"

Andy nodded her head. "Yeah, I, um ... I have a meeting with him in a couple minutes."

She nodded her head. "The results from the marrow test are in?" Andy nodded her head.

"Well, I can take you up there, if you want?" the nurse offered.

Andy pursed her lips, not wanting to admit that she would rather just leave the hospital and never come back. Instead, she said, "Sure, if you don't mind." She followed her to the nearest elevator, and then up to the fourth floor. They walked down to a room with large doors, and the nurse poked her head in.

"Dr. Stevenson, Miss McNally is here."

"Thank you, Rita," he told her, waving his hand to her. "Bring her in."

The nurse opened the door more, allowing Andy entrance, before closing it again behind her.

Now that Andy was inside, she wished like hell she'd stayed out. Not only was the doctor already in there, but so were her mother, her new husband, and a younger girl. She looked to be in her early teens.

_Please tell me I don't have a sister,_ Andy begged internally. She couldn't deal with that bombshell as well.

"Please, have a seat, the doctor requested.

Andy's eyes flicked to the group of people, unable to bring herself to walk forward. "I think I'll stand." Her eyes moved of their own accord the young girl, taking in her physical features. Short, brown hair, a slim body, and even though she was sitting, Andy could tell she was tall for her age.

The girl turned to look at her, and Andy nearly cringed. _No._

"Okay, well ... I guess we'll just get right down to it," the doctor said, opening the file that had been sitting on the table in front of him. "We have gotten the results of your bone marrow test, and now we have some things to discuss."

Audrey's hand came out to clasp Harold's, the worry on their faces making Andy nauseous.

She forced herself to keep her eyes trained on the doctor, waiting impatiently for him to continue.

"The results were far better than we had expected. You are a 91 percent match with Bobby's marrow, much higher than anyone else we've tested," he informed her.

An odd, tingling sensation ran through Andy's body, enough to make her sit down. She took a seat far away from the others, staring at the doctor. "So ... I'm a match?"

He nodded his head. "Yes."

Her eyes bounced all around the room, unable to focus on one thing. She couldn't believe it. It had been so unlikely, almost impossible that she would be a close enough match. But now ...

"Now, the next step is the important part. You'll need to decide if you want to continue with the procedure, and donate your marrow to Bobby."

Andy blinked, trying to remain focused. "Um, how much time do I have to decide?"

Her mother gasped, turning to look at her. "You need _time to decide_?" she asked her in a shocked voice. "Andy, please!"

She turned her glare on her mouth, opening her mouth to snap back at her, but the doctor interrupted.

"This is a big decision, one that I don't expect you to take lightly," he spoke. "But Bobby's condition is not getting any better. I can't say for sure how much time you'll have to decide, but I would feel better if you made your decision before the end of the week, so that we might have time to explore other options.'

"Other options?" her mother repeated, looking back at the doctor. "This was our _other option_! If she doesn't do this, he might not ..." she trailed off, unable to finish. Instead, she dropped her head against her husband's chest, tears falling onto his dress shirt.

He clenched his jaw, but didn't look at Andy.

Andy pursed her lips, unable to stay in the room any longer. The urge to run was too strong, and she embraced it. The chair was still spinning after the door closed, and she practically ran out of the hospital.

...

"You could have told me about this sooner," Traci assured her, sitting with her at her apartment. "This isn't something you should have to deal with on your own."

Andy nodded her head, sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest. She had just thrown her cell phone onto the coffee table after shutting it off. Her mother had tried to call her at least six times since she'd left the hospital. "I know. I'm sorry. I just ... I don't know, I just didn't want to even think about it, let alone talk about it."

Traci nodded, seeing the worried and helpless expression on her friend's face. "So, the thousand dollar question ... what are you going to do?"

Andy glanced up at her, shaking her head slightly. "I don't know." She sighed, bringing a hand up to her head and resting her forehead on it. "I mean, I don't want the kid to die ... but the doctor said there might be other options. And it's not like I ever expected to be a match, let alone this close of a match," she continued.

Traci listened silently, letting Andy get it all off her chest.

"I mean, how can they expect me to just make a decision, right then and there? They just drop it all on me, and I don't even - I have a sister!" she almost shouted, shocking Traci. "She couldn't even be bothered to tell me that I have a sister! How wrong is that?"

"Oh, my god," Traci commented. "How old is she?"

Andy shrugged her shoulders. "Teenager, I think. I mean, she just brings her along, and expects me to be okay with that? What the hell is wrong with her?" Her eyes were brimming with tears, though she tried very hard not to let them fall. She didn't want to give her mother the satisfaction of bringing her to tears.

Traci moved closer to her on the couch, reaching out to wrap an arm around her shoulder. "Andy, whatever you decide to do, it can't be about your mom, or your sister, or even your brother. It's gotta be about you, what you want to do, what you think is the best thing. Only you can decide that."

Andy let her head fall on Traci's shoulder, honestly not knowing what she was going to do.

...

Sam had let Andy drive the squad car the next day. She hadn't talked about her meeting with the doctor, but he had a feeling that it hadn't gone well. He didn't want to press her for information, but figured that by letting her drive, she would be a little bit more comfortable.

A couple hours into their shift, a call came over the radio: an attempted home invasion into an apartment complex. They listed off the address, causing Andy and Sam to look at each other.

"That's my apartment," Andy spoke in surprise.

Sam flicked on the lights, radio-ing in that they were headed over.

They arrived at her building a few minutes later, jumping out of the car quickly. Andy spotted one of her neighbor's talking to someone, standing out on the front lawn. "Mrs. Jansen, what happened?" she asked, jogging over.

The older woman turned, allowing Andy to see who she had been talking to.

Andy slowed immediately, stopping several feet away from them.

Sam noticed the change in Andy, looking back and forth between the woman there.

"What are you doing here?" Andy asked the girl.

"I had to talk to you," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

Sam finally spoke up. "McNally? Care to explain?"

Andy flared her nostrils, pursing her lips as she crossed her own arms. "She's my - my sister."

...

_End of chapter eight. _

_Well, what did you guys think? Like it, hate it? _

_I'm so excited for tonight's episode, I can't hardly wait!_

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	9. Chapter 9

_..._

_A Sam/Andy fic. _

_Chapter Nine. _

_..._

_Disclaimer: See. Ch. 1. _

_..._

_A/N: Thanks for the speedy reviews, guys. You rock! _

_I'll respond to some reviews here: _

_**boneslover13:**__ Thanks for the review. From what I understand of bone marrow transplants, it doesn't affect the donor as much as the recipient. I believe there is a little recovery time, as the body would have to replace the missing marrow, and then they would have to run some tests and do observation to make sure there were no "side-effects", or mishaps that happened during the procedure. The way I see for Andy, it's more of an emotional crisis that a physical one. _

_**Cythera:**__ Hehe, I know, I'm horrible with the cliffhangers. I just can't help myself! Thanks for the review. _

_**flirtatious:**__ Don't worry, Andy's sister's name will be revealed soon ... lol, not that's it's some big secret. As for the other questions ... yeah, they'll be answered in this chapter! Thanks for the review! _

_**Tennischica:**__ Well, it sucks that you feel that way, but I did explain from the beginning that this fic would be centered on Andy, not Andy and Sam. Yes, they will end up together, but that's not the main goal. The main plot line is her mother coming back because her brother is in the hospital, and how Andy deals with that emotional turmoil. Everything else takes second fiddle to that. _

_**alicia: **__I was actually debating on whether or not to have Andy say something along those lines, but it came down to her age. I think that if the sister was older, Andy might have been more callous and snappy, but she's still in shock over having a sister, and thrown by the fact that she looks so much like her. It's kind of like when Sam asked who the woman in the division was, and Andy said "my mother". She could have said, "the woman who gave birth to me", but it's a bit more of a mouthful. The way I see it, Andy had no notion of real family - and the bonds that come with it - so the words sister, mother, and brother, aren't as meaningful for her as they would be to someone else. Thanks for the review, I'm glad you're liking it so far! _

_**Everyone else:**__ Thanks for the great reviews, you're wonderful!_

_Alright, that's enough out of me, let's get on with the story! _

_I hope you guys like this, I know I'll love writing it. _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

...

Andy stared back a the girl, their postures mirroring each other. She was aware of the surprised look on Sam's face as he glanced back and forth between them, but forced herself to focus on the problem at hand. "What are you doing here?" she asked again. "Were you trying to break into my apartment?"

The younger girl shrugged her shoulders. "I had to talk to you."

"I'm sure _Audrey_ would have given you my number," Andy replied.

"Yeah, I tried calling. Three times," she informed her. "You wouldn't answer."

Andy remembered shutting off her phone, thinking that her mother was trying to contact her. She glanced at Sam, and then moved her eyes to the older woman. "Mrs. Jansen, are you the one who called the police?"

She nodded her head.

Andy pursed her lips. "Okay, well ... why don't you talk to Officer Swarek, here? He'll take your statement." She looked back at Sam, who nodded his head. Andy walked out of earshot, motioning for the girl to follow her. "Okay, whatever you have to say, you'd better make it fast. I don't want to have to arrest you, but -"

"If you want to arrest me, that's fine. As long as you'll give my brother your bone marrow, I don't care what you do," she told her.

Andy sighed, looking down at the ground. "I haven't made my decision yet."

"Why not? I mean, it's not like you're giving up a kidney, or something. It grows back!" she exclaimed.

Andy placed her hands on her hips, her eyes lingering on the ground for a moment before she looked back up into the brown eyes that were so like her own. "Look, I know this is difficult for you, but -"

"No, you don't," the younger girl corrected her. "You don't even have the slightest clue. He is _my_ brother, and he has been sick for half of his life! You don't know anything about it!"

"That's not my fault!" Andy replied heatedly. "I didn't even know he existed until now! You expect me to make this decision at the drop of a hat? You don't even know ... your family ruined me!"

"So you're gonna punish Bobby for that? For what my mom did to you?"

Andy groaned, glancing up at the heavens before looking back at her. "I'm not trying to punish anyone, I -"

Sam stepped in between them, placing a hand on Andy's shoulder. "Sorry to interrupt here, but I just need to ask a few questions," he spoke. He saw that Andy was tail spinning, and didn't fight the urge to help her. He turned towards the younger girl. "How old are you?" he wondered.

She was breathing heavily, but turned her eyes to stare at Sam. "Thirteen."

Sam nodded, jotting it down. "Name?"

"Dana Jacobs," she replied.

"Okay, wait here, Miss Jacobs," he commanded, pulling Andy aside. "You need to relax," he told her in a quiet voice.

Andy knew that he was right, but her body was still tense, and her chest was still heaving.

Sam sighed, looking back at the girl. "I need to know if you want to press charges."

Andy looked up at him, searching his eyes. After a moment, she shook her head. "No. I'll deal with it."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Yeah ... just give me a minute." She made her way back over to the girl, noting her defensive posture. "Give me your cell phone number," she requested shortly.

Dana stared at her. "Why?"

"So that I'll know it's you calling, and won't hang up," Andy informed her. "Look, you're free to go here. I won't take you in, but you can't break into my place just because you want to talk to me. I get off around six, if you still want to discuss this, then give me a call," Andy told her.

Dana was silent for a moment, but then nodded.

Andy copied her number into her phone, flipping it shut and sliding it back into her pocket. She took a deep breath, looking steadily at the younger version of herself. So much passion, so much anger ... actually, Dana resembled her more like she was now, than how she'd been at her age. She sighed, eyeing the girl up and down. "I am sorry about your brother."

The girl nodded stiffly, her nostrils wide as they flared with something akin to annoyance. "Can I go now?"

Andy nodded her head. "Do you need a ride?"

"I'll walk," Dana replied, making her way past the two officers.

Sam watched her go with Andy, wondered if it was safe to sat that he saw the family resemblance. ... _Probably not. _

...

Andy was actively aware of the cell phone in one of her many pockets, throughout the entire day. Even thought she'd told the girl - Dana - to wait until after six to call her, she still felt the weight of that call on her shoulders. She still hadn't made up her own mind, one way or the other. How could she explain to this girl the dilemma that she was facing. It wasn't as though she wanted the boy to die, but why did it have to be up to her? Why did she have to be the one to save him?

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. They brought a couple guys back to the barn, for drunk and disorderly behavior, one girl for shoplifting, and another for smashing up her ex-boyfriend's car.

At the end of the day, Andy almost wished that she was working a double shift. Anything to avoid having to talk to her ... having to talk to Dana.

"You alright?" Sam asked her as they walked out of the division. "Wanna go for a drink?"

Andy very much wanted to take the offer. It would be nice to just sit back with Sam and relax, as though none of this had ever happened. But she was expecting a phone call, and she didn't want to risk being drunk for that phone call. "No, it's okay. I think I'm just gonna head home."

Sam nodded his head. "I'll give you ride."

"It's fine," Andy tried, but could tell that he wasn't having any of it.

"No arguments, McNally. Hop in," he told her.

A few seconds after he began driving, Andy's cell phone rang. Closing her eyes, she pulled it out of her pocket.

Sam watched her stare at the phone. "That her?"

Andy nodded her head. With a deep sigh, she flipped the phone open, pressing it to her ear. "Hello?"

"So ... can you come meet me?" Dana asked her.

Andy frowned slightly. "Why? Where are you?"

"At the hospital," she answered.

Andy fidgeted in her seat. "I don't think that's the best idea."

"They're not here," Dana told her. "They went home to have dinner, and do some laundry. I told them I'd keep an eye on Bobby, so that we can talk. Please, will you just meet me?"

Andy closed her eyes again, silent for a long moment. Finally she lifted her head and said, "Fine. Meet me by the front entrance."

Dana agreed, and hung up the phone.

Sam glanced over at Andy while she put her phone away. "Change of plans?"

"Yeah, can you take me to the hospital?" she asked him.

"Is everything okay?"

Andy nodded her head. "Yeah ... she just wants to talk."

Sam nodded his head, turning on his signal light as he changed his route. When they arrived in front of St. Michael's a few minutes later, he looked over at Andy. "Do you want me to come in?" he wondered.

Andy considered it, but then shook her head. "No ... I don't know how long I'll be. Thanks for the ride, though. I'll probably just take a cab home."

Sam nodded once more, unlocking the doors with the power-lock. "Alright ... good luck," he said, not really knowing what else to say.

Andy saw Dana waiting for her by the front doors, and forced a small smile onto her face when she looked back at Sam. "Thanks." She stepped down from the truck, making her way over to the girl.

Sam watched them for a moment, torn between staying with his rookie, and leaving. Deciding to respect her wishes, he pulled out of the parking lot and headed home. He just hoped that Andy would still be alright when he saw her next.

...

_End of chapter nine. _

_Well, what did you guys think? Like it, hate it? _

_I'm trying not to progress Andy and Dana's relationship too quickly, but at the same time, I want to shed light on the fact that despite her animosity, Andy does relate to her, and feels sorry for her. _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	10. Chapter 10

_..._

_A Sam/Andy fic. _

_Chapter Ten. _

_..._

_Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Rookie Blue. _

_..._

_A/N: Thanks for the great reviews, so far, guys! You rock!_

_I'll respond to some reviews here: _

_**nightfog:**__ I was going to have him wait, but they're gonna be in there for a while - without giving too much away - so I decided to have him just watch them for a minute, and then leave. Thanks for the review!_

_**anamarya:**__ It's good that you're liking Dana, I wanted her to be a more sympathetic character than her mother. Thanks for the review!_

_**alicia: **__Alright, I almost had to beg you to send me a link for the discussion board ... but I found it. Thanks so much for the tip, I pretty much haven't stopped smiling since. Thanks for the review!_

_**oceangirl101:**__ Thanks for pointing out the typo, it has been fixed! And thanks for the review!_

_**Everyone else:**__ Thanks for the amazing reviews, you guys are my inspiration! _

_Alrighty, that's enough out of me, let's get on with the story!_

_I hope you guys like this one, I know I'll love writing it. _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

...

The two of them made their way through the hospital, not really talking until they reached the cafeteria.

"I promised him I'd come back up in fifteen minutes," Dana told Andy, while they found a seat.

Andy nodded her head, not needing to ask who she was referring to. "I won't keep you long, then."

Dana looked down at her hands, which were linked around the cup of coffee in her hands.

"Aren't you a little young to be drinking that stuff?" Andy asked her, while sipping on her own concoction.

Dana shrugged. "It keeps me awake. Sometimes ... it's just better to not have to sleep."

Andy sighed slowly, breathing through her nose. She couldn't fight this connection that she felt towards the younger girl, but she also didn't want to get attached, either. As soon as this ordeal with Bobby was over, she wasn't sure that she would ever see any of them again. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

Dana tilted her head, staring at Andy.

"Yeah, I figured," Andy replied. "Look, I know that really want me to do this, but I haven't made up my mind yet. I never expected to even be a match to his genetic type."

Dana nodded her head. "But you are. You are a match, the closest we've been able to find."

Andy opened her mouth to respond, but a beeping from Dana's hip cut her off. She watched her grab at her side hurriedly, pulling out a beeper.

"It's him, he needs something," Dana explained, standing up.

Andy tensed slightly in her seat. "I'll just ... wait here for you."

Dana began to move away from the table, but then stopped, an idea forming in her head. "Could you walk me up?"

Andy stared at her. "I'm not sure that's the best idea."

"I won't make you go in and see him," Dana assured her. "But I think if you're going to make an informed decision, you should at least know what you're deciding."

Andy didn't want to go up there. She didn't want to have to look at the poor, sick boy, alone in his bed, hooked up to wires. She'd done her research on the disease, she knew the toll that it took on a child's body.

"Please?" Dana asked, her brown eyes so similar to hers shining with unshed tears.

Andy sighed, relenting. "Okay ... I'll go up."

...

Andy stood outside the pediatric ward, fighting with herself. If she went in, there was no going back. If she didn't go in, she couldn't guarantee that she wouldn't hate herself later.

_He's just a little boy ... it's not like he can hurt you_, she reasoned.

Another voice in her head echoed in response, _Not physically, anyway._

Bouncing on her feet for a moment, she finally made her decision. Dana had given her the room number, leaving Andy alone while she went to see what her little brother needed.

She walked slowly through the ward, her hands wiping nervously on the fabric of her jeans. _2014, 2015, 2016 ... 2017._ She arrived in front of the room, noticing that the door was propped open. With her heart beating rapidly within her chest, she remained out of sight, just listening.

" ... be back once they've had dinner and finished the laundry. Don't worry about them," Dana told who Andy assumed was Bobby.

"I just hate sleeping when they're not here," the boy said weakly.

Andy closed her eyes, trying not to put a face to that voice. She couldn't see him, but she could imagine what he looked like.

"What are you doing in the cafeteria?" he asked his sister.

Dana paused while she fluffed his pillows, looking down at him. "Just getting a drink."

There was a long silence, and then the boy's voice could be heard again. "You know, I can tell when you're lying."

Dana sighed. "I'm just meeting someone downstairs. Nothing for you to worry about."

"It's her, isn't it?"

Andy's heart stopped beating at that.

"Who?" Dana asked, though Andy could hear the hesitation in her voice.

"Come on, Dana, I heard Mom and Dad talking about it before," Bobby spoke in a raspy voice. "She's here, right? But she doesn't wanna see me?"

Andy leaned against the wall, her eyes closing.

"Yeah, well ... she doesn't know what she's missing," Dana assured him.

After another minute, Andy heard footsteps coming towards the door, and then Dana was coming out of the room.

She saw Andy standing by the door, then looked back towards her brother. Dana motioned for Andy to follow her out of the ward, out of earshot of her brother. "How much did you hear?" she asked once they were outside.

Andy shrugged her shoulders. "A bit."

Dana nodded her head, crossing her arms as she looked back towards the ward. "I don't know how much longer he has."

Andy sighed, looking down at her feet. "Look, I know you -"

Dana cut her off before she tell her how much she knew she wanted her help. "No, you don't know. You've only known about this for what? A week? Two? I've had to live with this for years. I've had to sit idly by, and watch my baby brother get sicker and sicker. There's nothing that I can do. ... I had my marrow tested, too," she confessed, her skin reddening from her frustration. "I was only a 62 percent match. That's it ... sixty-two. And then you just show up out of nowhere, and you're a 91 percent match! You don't have any idea what it feels like to want to help him _so badly_, but not have to right genetics to do anything about it!"

Andy met her ... sister's eyes, seeing the tears welling in them.

"Look, I know that you hate my family ... I know what my mom did to you," Dana admitted. "But don't blame Bobby for that. She was pregnant with me when she left you. If you want to hate someone ... hate me."

Andy's head dropped to the side, her arms crossing over her chest. "I don't hate you, Dana. I just ... I don't know you."

"He's just a kid," Dana continued. "He's just ... I would trade places with him in a heartbeat if I could, but I can't. I can't do _anything_ to help him. But you can. You can save him. Please ... help him."

...

Her palms were sweaty, her heart was racing, and she was pretty sure that she was about to vomit. The urge to run was stronger than it had ever been, but she forced herself to keep walking forward; just one foot in front of the other.

Dana waited behind her, clearly not trusting her not to run.

Andy didn't blame her. Sighing, she steeled her nerves. With another deep - _deep_ - breath, she entered the room.

It was pretty much as bad as she had imagined. While the room was cheerful, full of bright colors and toys, the center figure made the entire room depressing and sad. Many wires and cords surrounded him, the beeping of the heart monitor resounding in the room. There were sensors and readings that Andy couldn't even begin to make sense of, but most of all ... a small, fragile-looking boy.

He seemed to be asleep, and Andy wondered if she should try to come back later. Dana gave her a push into the room, making her stumble a little bit. The squeaking of her shoes made the boy stir, and Andy knew there was no going back.

Bobby blinked up at her, his eyes hazy with the sleep he'd been pulled from. "Who are you?" he asked her, looking up at her.

Andy opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

Bobby's eyes trailed past her, to his sister standing in the doorway, and then it clicked. "Oh ... you're Andy."

Andy blinked a few times. "Yeah ... and you're Bobby." She tried not to stare at the tubes all over, or his hairless head. Instead, she groped around for a chair, pulling it up beside the bed and sitting down.

"So, she guilted you into coming, huh?" Bobby asked her.

Andy shrugged her shoulders. "A little."

He nodded his head, too weak to sit up more.

"Are you okay? I - oh, god, that's a stupid question," Andy berated herself. "Of course you're not. I just ... I meant ... do you need anything? Water, or ice chips, or anything?"

"I'm good for now," Bobby assured her. "Well, ask away."

Andy paused. "Ask what?"

He shrugged his shoulders slightly. "Whatever it is you want to ask me. You didn't just come in to stare at me, did you?"

Andy shook her head. "No, I just ... well, I don't really know why I'm here."

Bobby smiled sadly. "I'm sorry."

Andy furrowed her brow, staring at him in wonder. "Why are you sorry?"

He shrugged. "'Cause you don't wanna be here."

Andy shook her head. "It's not that. I'm just ... this has all been pretty sudden for me."

Bobby nodded again. After a moment, he licked his chapped lips, preparing to speak. "I won't be mad, you know. If you decide not to do what mom wants you to do. It's okay."

Andy had to swallow down the large lump that had formed in her throat, blinking to prevent her eyes from welling up.

...

She knocked on the front door, waiting patiently for an answer. A few moments later, she heard footsteps coming towards the door, and then it was swiftly opened.

"Andy?" he asked, flicking on the outside light.

She opened her mouth to speak, but the second a single sound made it past the barrier of her mouth, it transformed into a choked-off sob. Andy brought a hand to her mouth, her body shaking as the tears came.

Sam pulled her towards him without protest, wrapping his arms around her and closing the door.

...

_End of chapter ten. _

_Well, what did you guys think? Like it, hate it? _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	11. Chapter 11

_..._

_A Sam/Andy fic. _

_Chapter 11. _

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1. _

_..._

_A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews so far, guys! You rock! _

_I'll respond to some reviews here: _

_**flirtatious:**__ Thanks for the fun review. As much as I hate to leave you begging and waiting ... you'll have to wait and see what Andy does! Mua-ha-ha! ... Okay, I'm done with the evil laugh, now. Thanks, again! _

_**twotoe:**__ Well, it's disappointing that you're starting to dislike Andy, but I don't expect to please everyone all the time. I'm not sure if this will clear things up for you, but the way that I'm writing this, Andy is completely bogged down by her emotions. All the memories and hurt that comes along with her mother abandoning her, also transfers onto how she sees the rest of them: Bobby, Dana, and Harold. I'm not sure that I believe that she would randomly decide to give her marrow to a complete stranger, but I certainly agree that she has a big heart. An enormous heart. I am aware of this, and in this story, that big heart is the reason why she hasn't blown up on her mother and father and her mother's husband and daughter, and pretty much everyone around her, and it's the reason that she went to meet Bobby in the first place, even though she wanted nothing to do with him up to that point. When you're emotional about something, you can't pick and choose which parts you're emotional about, and which parts you're completely rational and detached about. Anyway, I hope that you continue to read this story, and I hope that this helps you understand the Andy that I'm writing a little bit better. _

_**alicia:**__ Yes, her brother does sound mature for his age. I did do this intentionally, because many children who have diseases such as this have to grow up a lot sooner and quicker than others. He's spent a good majority of his life having to deal with adult situations, adult terminology, and so much more than just that. So, his mannerisms - and vocabulary - would definitely be broader and more defined that another child his age without similar circumstances. Thanks for the review!_

_**Everyone else: **__Thanks for the amazing reviews! I'm glad you're still enjoying the story, and the emotional rollercoaster that Andy is riding. _

_Alright, that's enough out of me, let's get on with the story. _

_I hope you guys like this one, I know I'll love writing it. _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

...

"It was horrible," Andy told him, accepting the hot cup of coffee from his hands.

Sam came around the couch, sitting next to her. She'd calmed down somewhat since she'd first come to see him, but he was still worried about her. With everything she was going through, it was a wonder she hadn't completely lost it.

"He was so pale, and there were all those wires and sensors, and he said that _he_ was sorry. Him ... sorry for what I was going through! Never mind that he's lying in that hospital, so close to ..." Andy trailed off, unable to finish. It was as though it hadn't been real before. All she'd had was a name and a story, and maybe some part of her hadn't really wanted to believe it. She could push it out of her mind, make herself forget about it if she wanted to. But now, it was in there. _Bobby_ was in there, and she couldn't get him out of her head. She couldn't get past the sight of him lying in the bed, telling her that he wouldn't be mad at her if she let him die. The thought was too preposterous to wrap her head around.

Her hands were trembling too vigorously, so she set the coffee cup down. It rattled slightly against the coffee table, her nerves evident with every move that she made. Andy remained leaned over for a moment, dropping her head into her hands. "It's all just so screwed up," she told Sam.

"I'm sorry," he replied, his hand coming out to rest on her shoulder, squeezing gently.

Andy turned her head to look at him, one hand still on the side of her head. "Why are you sorry?"

Sam shrugged. "I wish I could do something to make this all easier ... but I got nothing. So, I'm just sorry."

Andy dragged her bottom lip between her teeth, chewing on it. She nodded her head, thanking him with her eyes before she closed them, turning her head back against her hands. "It's not right," she spoke after a long while. "She's such a terrible person, and he's such a wonderful boy ... yet he's the sick one, and she's ..." Andy shook her head, nearly burning a hole through her eyelids with the strength of her glare. "It's not right."

Sam nodded his head. "It never is."

Andy opened her mouth again to speak, but she couldn't find any other words. No matter how many ways she tried to say it, the bottom line was, she hated the situation she was in. A rush of air passed through her nose, and then the tears began falling once more.

Not knowing what else to do, Sam pulled her towards him, wrapping his strong arms around her quivering body.

Andy fought with herself for a short while, but eventually gave in, letting him comfort her.

...

Andy blinked her eyes open, a heavy feeling settling over her. The more she opened her eyes, the more she realized she was not in her bedroom ... she wasn't even in her own apartment.

She sat up quickly, looking around. Seeing the full cup of coffee on the table, Andy realized that she must have fallen asleep.

"Hey," Sam said from behind her.

Andy turned to see him standing behind the couch. "What time is it?"

"It's late," he answered. "You've only been out for a couple hours, though."

Andy nodded, standing up from the couch. "Sorry."

Sam shook his head. "It's okay. It seemed like you needed to get it out."

Andy licked her dry lips, debating whether or not she should drink the cold coffee, or ask for a glass of water. His arm stretched forward, taking away the need to ask.

"Here," he said, handing her a glass of water.

Andy smiled softly, thanking him. After a long drink, she set the glass on the coffee table, looking back around at him.

"Do you wanna talk some more?" he asked her, not quite ready for her to leave yet. He knew that it was inappropriate, and definitely the wrong time ... but he liked having her around. Whether she was laughing at one of his stupid jokes, or crying against his chest.

"No, I'm okay now," Andy replied. "I should probably get home."

Sam nodded, watching her pick her jacket up off the edge of the couch. Before she could leave, though, he spoke softly. "McNal ... Andy? Look, maybe it's not my business, but ..."

Andy turned her head, waiting for him to continue.

"I think that you've already made up your mind ... about what to do, I mean. I think that you already know what you're going to do, you just haven't given yourself the shove you need to go and do it," Sam told her.

Andy blinked, wondering if he really knew her that well.

"So ... shove?" he finished, hoping she wouldn't take it the wrong way.

Andy sighed, looking down at her feet. There was a half-decent chance that he was pretty much right, she just hadn't been willing to accept it before. Before she'd seen him, before she'd _known_ him. Andy walked back into the room, setting her jacket down over the edge of the couch. She hoped that he wouldn't misread what she was doing, but she was willing to take the chance. Looking into his dark, but welcoming eyes, Andy stood up on the tips of her toes, wrapping her arms carefully around his shoulders. "Thank you," she whispered, holding onto him.

Sam brought his arms up to her back, embracing her as she did him. "No problem," he replied just as quietly, feeling as though something had changed between them.

...

Andy stood in the office, waiting for the doctor to arrive. She needed to see him before she lost her nerve, before she managed to talk herself out of it. She had made her decision, and now she just needed to make it official.

She paced back and forth, constantly glancing at the door, waiting for it to open. Sam had driven her over - despite her half-hearted assurances that she could take a cab - and was currently on a coffee hunt. She was so grateful for his support ... she didn't know what she'd done to deserve it. She'd been so miserable for the last couple weeks - in particular the last several days - but despite her attitude, he hadn't pushed her away. She wondered if -

Her thoughts were interrupted by the office door opening.

"Nice to see you again, Miss McNally," Dr. Stevenson greeted.

Andy nodded, her hands sliding into her pockets. "Yeah."

He could see that she wasn't too eager to chat, so he got right down to it. "I take it you've made your decision, then?"

Taking a steadying breath, Andy nodded her head once more. "I have."

"And you're sure?"

"As sure as I'm ever going to be," Andy replied.

...

Dana sat next to her brother's bed, her hand holding his, with her thumb tracing lightly over his skin. He was asleep for now, so she made herself be quiet, not wanting to disturb him.

Her parents would likely be back from their house soon, and then her father would be taking her home. She hated going home; hated leaving Bobby alone with them. Well, not _them_. She loved her dad, he was wonderful and kind, and love her and her brother very much. But she and her mother had never quite gotten along like she and Bobby had. But she didn't blame Bobby for that. She just figured her mother preferred sons.

That was okay in her books, though. The less time she had to spend with her, the better.

Her mind drifted while she sat there, looking down at her brother. Just a few hours ago, her sister - the word still seemed foreign to her - had sat where she did, and had a conversation with her brother. Dana knew that she had pushed Andy into it, but she didn't care about being patient and tactful where her brother was concerned. If her bossy attitude and shoving arms helped him in the long run, then she didn't care.

Dana sighed, leaning over to rest her chin on the bed. Her brother seemed so pale, so fragile ... so tiny. When he was in this bed, he didn't seem like himself. And he was in it far too much. She remembered when they were little, and he used to be so full of life. His thick, wavy hair would blow in the wind, and his smile could damn near light up a whole city. This disease had changed him ... but it hadn't defeated him. Not yet. He was still so optimistic, so happy, so loving. He had a knack for making her smile, and there were times when she could almost forget why they were there. With all the pictures and toys, and pure joy that he exuded into the room, it was easy to forget that it was a hospital room, in the pediatric ward of St. Michael's hospital. It was too easy to forget that every day, he grew closer and closer to death.

Dana wiped at her eyes with her free hand, being sure to not stir her brother.

She thought that she had gotten through to Andy today. She could tell that she was a good person, and hoped that in the end, she would do the right thing. Her brother's life depended on it.

...

_End of chapter 11. _

_Well, what did you guys think? Like it, hate it? _

_I wanted to end this at 13, but it might be a bit longer. We'll see. _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	12. Chapter 12

_..._

_A Sam/Andy fic. _

_Chapter Twelve. _

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1. _

_..._

_A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews so far, I'm glad you guys are still enjoying this story. _

_I'll respond to some reviews here: _

_**singingprilly:**__ Thanks for the review, I'm glad you're still enjoying the story. And hey, whenever you find the time to review is great by me! _

_**hannah-jennifer:**__ Huge props for referencing How I Met Your Mother's favorite character. Loved your review! Lol, I'll try to make it longer, we'll see how it goes. Thanks for the review!_

_**Television-Fanatic:**__ Yes ... Sam is definitely the one she goes to for support. NOT Luke! Never Luke! Lol. Anyway, thanks for the review, I'm glad you're enjoying the story. _

_**.ximaginex.: **__(for some reason, it won't let me put your whole name ...) Thanks for the review, I'm glad you're still enjoying this. I'm so happy that you guys like Dana's character, I was a bit unsure about adding her in, but luckily it all worked out! _

_**xxliveforever17xx:**__ I'm glad you've enjoyed my writing so far, your encouragement is definitely appreciated. And thank you for keeping my cousin in your thoughts, it means a lot. Thanks for the review!_

_**Taylor-Cullen-Black-Swan:**__ (quite the name!) Thanks for the review, I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I don't like to give much away in the author's note, but after reading one of your other reviews, I thought I should make a separate note. I looked into it, after you said that people can get sick from bone marrow transplants. From the research that I've done, the only side effects come from the general anesthesia, and the effects wear off after a couple of weeks. The marrow also grows back in a couple of weeks, and there are no long-term effects of donating your marrow. _

_**jam-hands:**__ There will be some Sam/Andy action *soon* ... not saying how soon, though. Lol. Also, thanks for going through and reading/reviewing ALL of my Rookie Blue fics ... that was pretty awesome. I'm glad you've enjoyed them so far! Thanks for the review!_

_**Everyone else:**__ Thanks for the wonderful reviews, you guys are amazing! _

_Alrighty, that's enough out of me, let's get on with the story. _

_I hope you guys like this, I know I'll love writing it. _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

...

Andy hung up the phone, sitting back in her seat. The cafeteria was about half-filled, but not too noisy. Dana would be meeting her in a few minutes, and Andy was grateful for the opportunity to compose herself.

She'd worked out all the details with Boyko and Dr. Stevenson, now she just had to talk to Dana. She hadn't planned on telling many people, but she knew that the younger girl would want to know. It was all happening so fast, she almost couldn't believe it was real.

"Andy," Dana greeted from behind her, making her turn her head in response.

"Hey," Andy replied softly, still finding it disconcerting that the teenager looked so much like her.

Dana sat down across from her, dropping her large bag onto the table.

"What's all that?" Andy wondered, glancing at the bag.

Dana rolled her eyes up to the ceiling, mentally cursing the heavy bag. "School stuff. I take most of it through distance-learning so that I can be with Bobby, but it means a lot of extra credit work, and loads of reading," she explained.

Andy nodded her head. "That's impressive."

Dana shrugged. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

Andy sighed, linking her hands together on the table. "Well ... I talked to Dr. Stevenson last night."

Dana blinked, staring ahead at Andy. "Oh ... okay." She waited a few seconds, and then continued. "And ...?"

"And, I told him that I would do the marrow transplant," Andy informed her.

Dana's entire body froze, and she looked as though she'd just been run over by a train.

"Dana?" Andy spoke softly.

"You'd better not be screwing with me," Dana whispered.

Andy shook her head. "I'm not. I'll do the transplant."

Dana closed her eyes, feeling a lump settle in her throat. In the back of her mind, she knew that even the transplant was no guarantee of a cure, but she ignored that pessimistic voice. A rush of breath escaped her mouth, along with a small whimper. "Oh ... thank you," she managed to get out, before getting up from the table and coming beside Andy.

She had about a half-second to register what was happening, before Dana threw herself at Andy, wrapping her arms tightly around her. Andy hesitated, not sure how to react. Dana's cries of relief and gratitude had attracted a bit of attention. Andy's hands slowly came up to the younger girl's back, pressing against her sweater-covered flesh. When Dana didn't protest, Andy hugged her back, feeling an odd sensation within her at the motion. She'd never had a sibling, so she'd never known what it was like to hug one ... to comfort one. It was odd ... but almost nice.

Dana pulled her head away from Andy's shoulder after a long minute, pushing her brown hair out of her face. "Thank you," she spoke again, wiping at her tears of joy.

Andy shrugged, trying not to show how uncomfortable she felt. "Don't mention it."

Dana situated herself beside Andy, restraining herself from jumping on her again. "Does ... uh, does Bobby know?"

Andy answered, "I think Dr. Stevenson is telling him and ... I think he's planning on telling everyone tonight. We just finished sorting out all the paperwork, and setting a date."

"When?" Dana asked quickly.

"A couple days," Andy answered. "He wanted to get me in as soon as possible."

Dana nodded her head in understanding. "Good. Oh, Andy, this is so great. Thank you, again ... so much!"

Andy nodded her head. She figured she would probably feel better about it later. It wasn't as though she was dreading the actual transplant or anything, she had made up her mind and she was sticking to it. It was just still very new to her, and she needed some time to adjust. "So," she began, trying to steer the conversation away from any family-related topic, "what are you taking in school?"

...

Andy answered her phone on the third ring, not bothering to look at the Caller ID. She figured it was either Traci or Dana calling. Dana had already texted her twice since their meeting in the cafeteria, and Traci had planned on coming over. She hoped that Traci wasn't cancelling. "Hello?" she spoke into the phone.

"How could you not tell me?" a shrill voice screeched into the phone.

Andy held it away from her ear a bit, wincing in protest. "What?"

"I have been pacing around for days, worrying about the fate of my son, and you couldn't be bothered to put me at ease, and tell me that you'd made up your mind?" Audrey sniped at her.

Andy rolled her eyes, tensing her jaw. "Well, I didn't do it for you, Audrey. It's not my responsibility to keep you informed."

"You could have at least told me!"

Andy's hand clenched dangerously around the phone. "And you could have done more than just ditch me in the middle of the night," she retorted spitefully. "I'd say we're even, but we're not even close. Don't call here again." She hung up the phone with a snap, dropping it on the couch beside her. She wanted to chuck the phone against the wall, but reminded herself how expensive the last one had been to replace.

Andy was just considering trying to figure out how to block her mother's number from her cell, when her buzzer interrupted her thoughts. She practically stomped over to the buzzer, her mind stuck on her mother's demanding voice. "What?" she spoke harshly, after pressing down the speaker button.

"Uh, it's me," Traci replied.

"Oh, sorry," Andy spoke, sighing. "Come on up." She buzzed her in, propping her front door open as she retreated to the kitchen for a drink. A minute later, she heard Traci knock on the open door.

"Andy?"

She made her way back through the apartment, offering a drink to her friend.

"I'll just take a soda, thanks," Traci replied, closing the door behind her. "I gotta drive home. Are you okay?"

Andy shrugged, making her way back through to the kitchen to get Traci a soda. "Just my idiot mother."

"What did she do now?" Traci wondered.

Andy shook her head in annoyance. "She thought that I owed her a courtesy call to let her know I decided to do the bone marrow transplant."

Traci's eyes widened. "What?"

Andy remembered that she hadn't told Traci yet about her decision. "Ah, right ... sorry. I made an appointment to do the transplant."

Traci stared at her with an open mouth, her expression telling Andy that she needed to back-track a little.

...

"Wow," Traci finally managed to speak. "That's just ... poor kid."

Andy nodded her head. "It was so terrible seeing him like that. But it got me thinking ... if it was hard for _me_ to just see him like that, how must it be for him to have to live with it?"

Traci nodded back. "Yeah."

"That ... and Sam made me realize that I had already made up my mind, I just needed to make it official."

Traci smiled at that, failing to hide the grin.

"What?" Andy inquired after the look on her face.

Traci shook her head. "Nothing. It's just ... come on, Andy. Out of everyone that you could have gone to with this, you went to Sam? And he 'comforted' you? Let you cry on his shoulder, and fall asleep on him? You're really not seeing where I'm going with this?"

Andy rolled her eyes. "Come on, Traci. It's not like that. He's my training officer, he was just looking out for me. And besides, I only went to him because he already knew all about it, and he had just dropped me off at the hospital before."

The disbelief was evident on Traci's expressive face. "Andy, honey, his training officer duties only apply when you're actually on duty. Anything other than that ... that's all _him_. It's obvious to anyone with a set of eyes that he cares about you."

Andy sighed. "Not you, too. Come on, Trace, the whole division already thinks that we're sleeping together, because of Gail's big mouth. I don't need this from you, too."

"They can think what they want, and Gail's just an attention-seeking whore. No one really cares what she says, they're just desperate for gossip. The only thing coming from me is a question: do you have feelings for Sam?"

Andy was silent for a moment, her mind racing.

...

Dana sat beside her brother's bed, reading him his favorite story: 'Where the Wild Things Are'. They were about halfway through the book when their mother came into the room.

"Alright, Dana. Your father's waiting in the car," she told her, setting her purse down on the chair opposite hers.

"We're just about done," Dana informed her, planning on finished the story before she left.

Bobby looked up at his mother. "Is Andy gonna come see me tonight?"

Audrey stared down at her son. "Why would ... no, honey, she's not."

"Oh," Bobby replied. "I wanted to thank her."

Audrey pursed her lips, bringing over a new pillow to replace the one behind his head. "I don't think we'll be seeing much more of Andy," Audrey told her son, ignorant of the glare that her daughter was sending her. "She's just going to do the transplant, and be done with it."

Dana stared heavily at her. "I don't think so. Andy cares about us."

Audrey snorted, glancing briefly at her daughter. "Don't be so dramatic, Dana. Andy is more than happy to be rid of us."

Dana watched her brother's face fall, and couldn't stand to listen to her mother's unwelcome ramblings any longer. "Why do you hate her so much?"

Audrey looked down at her son, who was watching her with curious and sorrowful eyes. She forced her eyes to look back at her youngest daughter. "I'm not discussing this with you."

Dana crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, I'm _discussing_ it with you. I want an answer. What did she ever do to you, to make you hate her so much?"

Audrey remained silent.

"Come on, what?" Dana persisted.

"She existed!" Audrey finally snapped. After the words came out of her mouth, she looked down at her son in shock. The expression on his face was unreadable, so she quickly moved, grabbing Dana's arm and pulling her out of the room.

"Get off me," Dana growled when they were far enough away from the room.

"Why can't you just leave well enough alone?" Audrey demanded, terrified that her son would think less of her.

Dana glared heavily back at her. "'She existed'?" the younger girl repeated. "What the hell does that even mean?"

Audrey clenched her jaw. She didn't want to answer, but she didn't want to risk another blow-out later, and have Bobby witness that as well. "She - she was - the only reason that I stayed with her father for as long as I did, was because of her. But finally, I just couldn't take it anymore. Every time I looked at her, I saw how much I hated my life. I hated being a cop's wife, I hated being second on his mind all of the time. And she was just like him; I knew she'd be a cop, ever since she was 5, it was all she wanted to be. I had to get away, I _had_ to leave that life behind." She finished, breathing heavily and staring at her daughter.

Dana shook her head in disbelief. "God, it must just kill you to have to look at me everyday," she commented. She had seen her resemblance to Andy, she'd known how alike they were. "No wonder we never got along."

Audrey stepped away from her, looking back towards her son's room. "I'm not talking about this anymore. Your father's waiting for you. Just ... just go, Dana."

She didn't need to be told twice. She returned to the room to grab her things. Bobby asked her what was happening, but she just gave him a hug and told him everything was okay. She promised him that Andy would be back to see him, that she wasn't just going to ditch them. Dana left a kiss on his forehead before leaving the room, her glare burning into her mother's form as she passed her in the hallway.

...

_End of chapter twelve. _

_Well, what did you guys think? Like it, hate it? _

_This chapter was a bit more Dana-centric, but I needed to get the part about her mother in there. _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	13. Chapter 13

_..._

_A Sam/Andy fic. _

_Chapter Thirteen. _

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1._

_..._

_A/N: Sorry for the terribly long wait! I had to buy season 1 of Rookie Blue to get back in the groove of writing this fic. Hopefully I can see it through to the end. _

_I'll respond to some reviews here: _

_**flirtatious:**__ Thanks for the review, I'm glad you like Dana. She's fun to write. Don't worry, Sam and Andy will get together in good time! _

_**oceangirl101:**__ Thanks for the review, I'm glad you liked the "attention whore" line. Me too. _

_**dwennie:**__ Thanks for the review, I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far. I will be trying to work in Andy's father, and technically "stepfather" into the next couple chapters, get some conflict brewing there. In regards to my posting replies to reviews in my chapters: I don't recall if I've already messaged my reply back to you about this, but essentially I do this because often times multiple people will ask the same question, or have the same comments, and while I try to respond to all of my reviewers, it's much easier to just include it with the chapter. Less repetition that way. _

_**Everyone else:**__ Thanks for the review. As most of you agreed, her mother is definitely a bitch, and I will be continuing to write her that way, except maybe when she's with Bobby or Harold. I apologize again for the wait, I tend to get sidetracked a lot. I'm working on it, I promise! _

_Alrighty, that's enough out of me, let's get on with the story, shall we? _

_I hope you guys like this one, I know I'll love writing it. _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

...

Andy sat alone in her apartment that night, leafing through the pages of an old journal. It was the diary that she'd kept since she was seven. She'd stopped writing in it around her sixteenth birthday, feeling too old for such childish things.

If ever there was a time for reflection, though ... this was it. Tomorrow morning she would be going into the hospital to begin the transplant. She'd be there for ten days, at least; maybe two weeks if her recovery was slow. Her suitcase was packed, she'd cleared the time off with Boyko, and made sure to schedule some extra shifts so that the time away wouldn't affect her probationary period.

She'd considered pouring herself a large bottle of wine and soaking in a hot bath, but she didn't think that getting drunk the night before she was to be admitted to the hospital was the brightest idea.

Instead, she'd warmed up a large cup of hot cocoa, retreating to her bedroom with her stereo playing a low, soft tune.

Page after page, the carefree times of her youth were laid out before her. Fantasies of becoming a cop like her father, and marrying the perfect man like her mother had done. She would have three kids: one boy, and twin girls. They would all be cops, of course, just like her and her future husband.

Andy couldn't resist a snort at how she'd once imagined her life would be.

After her ninth birthday, the entries started to change. Her own handwriting stared back at her like a terrible eye-sore, detailing in a child's biased eyes her parents troubles. Her mother had been distant, her parents had been arguing constantly. Then one day, _poof!_ Her mother had disappeared in the middle of the night, without so much as a goodbye note.

Looking back, Andy now knew that it was probably because she'd gotten pregnant with Dana. Audrey had been cheating on her father, and the second she'd had a real reason to leave him - to leave them - she'd pounced on it.

With a heavy sigh, Andy closed the journal, placing it beside her on the bed. Too many bad memories filled the pages, she just couldn't keep reading.

She spent the rest of the night in relative silence, sipping her cocoa until her drooping eyes begged for sleep.

Tomorrow was a big day, she needed all the rest she could get.

...

Traci had taken her to the hospital before her shift started, making sure that her friend was settled in her room before she left. Sam had left her a text message wishing her well, and letting her know that he'd stop by the hospital with some take-out as soon as she was allowed visitors.

Andy got herself changed into the ever-fashionable hospital gown, sitting in her bed with a magazine while she waited impatiently for the doctor to arrive. Her appointment was still well over an hour away.

She was all-but twiddling her thumbs when a knock at the door drew her out of her thoughts.

"Can I come in?"

It wasn't a voice that Andy recognized right away, but when she looked up, she was filled with a numbing dread. It was Harold, the man partially responsible for ruining her parents' marriage.

Andy was silent for a moment, and then shrugged. She hoped that whatever it was that he wanted, he would be quick about it.

Harold stepped into the room, making his way carefully to Andy's bed. "How are you doing?" he asked her, eyebrows furrowed.

Andy stared blankly back at him, wishing that she was still at least holding the magazine she'd long-since finished. Then at least she'd have something to do with her hands. "I'm fine."

Harold nodded, brushing a hand through his short, graying hair. "I know I'm probably not your most favorite person in the world," he began slowly, "but I wanted to thank you for what you're doing. It means the world to me and -"

Andy shook her head, cutting him off. "I'm not doing it for you," she assured him. "No kid deserves what Bobby's going through."

Harold nodded. "I couldn't agree more. I wish I could do more for him ... I'm only a sixty-four percent match. You being here ... it's a miracle."

Andy fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Please tell me you're not going to start preaching."

Harold shook his head. "No ... no, I'm not exactly the most religious type." The older man sighed, sitting down in the chair next to Andy's bed.

Andy thought about asking him to leave, but a part of her couldn't shake the curiosity she felt about the man. What was it about him that was so great, that her mother had left her and her father for him.

"So, Dana hasn't been able to stop talking about you," Harold told her, glancing over at her with a wry smile on his face.

Andy shrugged. "She's a good kid."

Harold nodded. "That she is. This thing with Bobby ... it's gone on for so many years. Sometimes, I can't believe she's only thirteen. She works so hard to keep that damn game-face on, it's hard to tell what she's thinking."

Andy started to wish that she'd gone with the drinking last night ... she didn't want to be sober for this conversation. "She's ... exhausted. She loves Bobby more than anything, and she just wants him to get better so that he can be a kid again."

Harold nodded. "You know, she's at the top of her class? She only goes to class two days a week, but she's getting better grades than just about all the other kids."

Andy nodded, not doubting it for a second. The two fell into silence, Andy watching as Harold stared off into space, a soft smile on the edges of his mouth. Biting the bullet, so to speak, Andy asked the question she'd been wanting to for over a dozen years. "What made you do it?"

Harold blinked, the smile gone from his face.

Andy pressed on. "Why'd you go for my ... for Audrey? She was married, she had a kid. Why her?"

Harold brought his palm to his mouth, brushing it down his weathered face. "I don't even know where to begin, Andy. So many little things. I don't suppose your mother told you what happened?"

Andy shook her head. A part of her didn't want to know, but another _stronger_ part craved the knowledge that had been denied to her for so long.

"I was - am - a divorce lawyer. She came to me looking to file for divorce from your father."

Whatever the truth was, Andy had not been expecting that.

"I'm not going to defend either of our actions, and I know you don't want to hear it ... but I fell in love with her. It didn't occur to us that what we were doing was wrong ... at least, I didn't feel it was wrong. She was unhappy with your father, and I just wanted to take some of her pain away. It was -"

Andy couldn't take any more. "Stop. Just stop." She pushed herself up on her bed, swinging her legs off the edge of the bed, opposite of where Harold was sitting. She thanked herself internally for having the presence of mind to thrown on a pair of scrub bottoms under her hospital gown. "I need to use the bathroom," Andy told him. "Then I should probably ... get some rest."

Harold nodded, rising from his seat and watching Andy as she stepped away from him. "Thank you ... again. For everything. And, for what it's worth ... I'm sorry."

Andy couldn't bear another look at him, striding towards the bathroom without another word. When the door closed behind her, she clicked the lock into place and fell back against the wood. Tears began filling her eyes, and then her tired body slid down against the door, until she was crumpled on the floor, whimpering as quietly as she could.

...

At quarter-to-ten, Dr. Stevenson knocked lightly on the door, stepping into the room. "Are you ready, Miss McNally?"

Andy didn't think she could answer such a heavy question, so instead she just nodded her head.

The doctor motioned for one of the nurses to bring in a separate gurney, making room in the doorway for the younger man to pass. "We've been over this before, but I'd like to run through the process one more time before we go into the room. You're aware that this will be a more extensive extraction than the last one?"

Andy nodded her head, climbing off of her comfy hospital bed and onto the gurney.

"We'll be taking more marrow this time, so your body will take longer to recover. With the loss of marrow, the pain in your bones will also last much longer than the first time. That's why we insist that you remain in the hospital for at least eight-to-ten days for observation." Dr. Stevenson regarded the young police officer with still eyes. "You're prepared?"

Andy was getting tired of hearing the same question in so many different ways. "Yes, I'm ready. Let's just get this done, okay?"

Dr. Stevenson nodded, admiring her silently. "Very well. Nurse Hansen, please take Miss McNally OR 2."

...

_End of Chapter Thirteen. _

_Well, what did you guys think? Like it, hate it? _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	14. Chapter 14

_..._

_A Sam/Andy fic. _

_Chapter Fourteen. _

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1. _

_..._

_A/N: Thanks for all the awesome reviews so far! I'm glad you guys are still interested in this story! _

_I promise, I'll be working in some Sam/Andy moments soon. _

_I hope you guys like this one, I know I'll love writing it. _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

...

Andy had expected to feel as though she were on display. She'd expected to be surrounded by doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, orderlies, etc. She hadn't expected the room to be devoid of people. That being said, there was one person in the room she definitely hadn't been expecting to see.

"Hey, sis," Bobby spoke in a cheerful voice, despite the pale, sickly look of him.

Andy sat up on the gurney, staring at him with confused eyes. "What are you doing here?"

The nurse wheeled Andy right next to the spot where Bobby sat in his wheelchair.

"Well, you're giving me your marrow," Bobby explained. "The least I could do is be here for you." He glanced up towards the observation deck, a half-smile on his face. "Dana's up there with Mom and Dad. Whenever I have to get a shot, or they take my blood, Dana always holds my hand. She lets me squeeze as hard as it hurts." Bobby raised his shaky arm towards Andy, showing the obvious toll that such a movement took on his weak body.

Andy grasped his hand quickly, not wanting him to over exert himself. The moment her hand touched his small, overly-white hand, a shiver ran through her body, from their joined hands, all the way down to the tips of her toes. She had to close her eyes briefly to not let out a stray tear.

"You can squeeze my hand, if you want," Bobby whispered. "If it hurts too much."

Andy locked her eyes onto Bobby's, even as the strangers with medical degrees moved all around her, preparing her for the operation. The staff in the room worked around them, making sure that Andy didn't have to let go of the boy's hand. Andy marveled at the thought that someone so terrible and cruel could give birth to someone so selfless and caring. He really was a miracle.

When it was time for them to administer the anesthetic, they asked her if she was ready.

Andy glanced at Dr. Stevenson once, nodding her head.

Bobby pulled her attention back to him when they brought out the needle, and began clearing a patch of skin on her hip to freeze the area. "Even if this doesn't work, and I still get sicker ... thanks for trying," Bobby told her.

Andy couldn't hide the tear that fell from her eye at that. She could no longer imagine a world without Bobby Jacobs in it. "It'll work. You're gonna be just fine."

Bobby smiled gratefully. "I love you."

Before Andy could muster up some semblance of a reply, Dr. Stevenson spoke, "You're going to feel a slight pinch."

...

The first thing Andy noticed when she woke up, was the acute and throbbing pain in her hip. The next was the dryness of her mouth, and her hand fumbled around blindly for a cup of water.

"Hang on there, Sport," a familiar voice said.

Andy opened her eyes as quickly as her drowsy state would allow, surprised to see her father standing beside her bed, a pitcher of water in one hand, and a blue, plastic cup in the other.

"Welcome back," he greeted, pouring the glass and inserting a straw into it.

Had Andy been more aware and less in pain, she would have protested the "baby" treatment. But, as her throat was longing for a drink of water, and she didn't have the strength to push herself into a sitting position, she simply opened her mouth and accepted the straw, sucking the cold water into her waiting mouth. She downed about half the cup before pulling her head away.

"How are you feeling?" Tommy McNally asked his daughter, standing over her and brushing loose hair back behind her ear.

Andy cleared her throat, staring up at him. She'd been propped on her right side, as they'd taken the marrow out of the left. She couldn't see, but from the throbbing in her hip, she thought there must be a whopper of a bruise there. "I've been better. ... What are you doing here?"

Tommy looked down at the floor. "Sam Swarek called me, told me what was going on. Figured I should be here when you woke up."

Andy nodded silently, surprised at such a thoughtful action.

"Look, Andy ... I know I haven't always been there for you, especially lately," Tommy began.

"Dad, don't -"

"No, I need to say this," he pressed on, bringing a hand up to nervously scratch the back of his head. "For a long time, I've been ... drinking myself into an early grave. I know that. I see how much it hurts you, Andy. You've just always been so strong ... and I guess I took that for granted. Put too much weight on your shoulders."

Andy closed her eyes, dropping her head into her pillow and sniffling. She didn't know how much more confession she could take.

"I want you to know, I'm gonna do better. I'm gonna get better, for you. You're all I've got left, Andy," Tommy admitted. "I can't lose you, too."

Andy pressed her lips together tightly, shifting and trying not to wince at the pain. When she looked back up at her father, she saw the matching tears in his own eyes. She shook her head a couple of times. "You haven't lost me, Dad. You've been with me, all these years. They haven't been perfect, but ... you stayed. You're my Dad ... I'll love you forever, no matter what."

Tommy nodded, a grateful expression filling his eyes. He brought his hand back to her face, cupping her cheek.

"But, that doesn't mean you're getting off Scott-free," she informed him. "Starting today, you're going to attend A.A. meetings, you're gonna throw out all the booze bottles you've got stashed away, and you're gonna start the day off with a real coffee ... not Irish."

Tommy chuckled, a pained look flashing through his eyes briefly before he nodded. "Okay."

Andy smiled, no longer feeling the need to cry. "Bring that cup back over here," she requested, her thirst not quite clenched.

Tommy complied, holding the cup so his daughter could drink from the straw. As she took a fair-sized swallow, he commented, "So, how long you and Swarek been together?"

Andy did not hold herself at all accountable for the water that spewed from her mouth, onto her father's arm and shirt.

...

The worst part about being stuck in the hospital was the waiting. The only visitors she could have were family members, and her dad was currently keeping his end of their deal; completely cleansing his apartment of all things alcohol, and then finding the nearest A.A. meeting.

Dana was still with the rest of her family, which was completely understandable.

Andy hoped and prayed that the transplant would work. She prayed that his body wouldn't reject her marrow, that he would start to get better, and that she would be able to watch him grow into a handsome man some day. She didn't know how she would manage it and keep her distance from Audrey, but made a promise to herself to try.

She had discovered shortly after her dad had left that she most definitely did have a bruise on her hip. It was quickly becoming a large, ugly, black eye-sore, one that she couldn't wait to be rid of.

Walking was difficult; she'd already had to call the nurse in both times she'd needed to use the bathroom. After the second time, she vowed to drink only enough water that she absolutely needed, not wanting to repeat the process more times than necessary.

She'd convinced the last nurse to help her onto the bed so that she was laying flat on her back, starting to get sore on her other hip from laying side-ways. She was flicking through the channels, trying to find something good to watch, when her attention was pulled by a knock at the door.

"Got room for one more in there?" Sam asked, leaning against the doorframe.

Andy smiled, nodding in answer. She watched him walk into the room, taking note of his empty hands. "Where's my take-out?"

Sam motioned towards the nurse's station. "They confiscated it. Said you had to eat hospital food for now."

Andy turned her nose up in disappointment, pouting slightly. After a moment, she narrowed her eyes at him in confusion. "How'd you even get in here? Visiting hours ended at least an hour ago."

Sam smirked. "Power of the badge," he informed her, brandishing the shiny shield he'd pulled off his uniform.

Andy nodded in understanding. "Of course."

Sam glanced over his shoulder, checking to see if the nurse could see him. When he was convinced she couldn't, he reached a hand up of the sleeve of his shirt. "Well, fortunately for you, I anticipated Nurse Ratchet, and came prepared," he informed her, before pulling a short, thin bag of Twizzlers out from his sleeve.

Andy choked out a subdued chuckle, glancing around in faux discretion. "Wow, you really went all out."

"Hey, nothing but the best for my favorite rookie," Sam replied.

Andy rolled her eyes, but held her hand out for the treat. The movement caused her to shift, putting a painful amount of pressure on her hip. "Ow!" she hissed out, trying to shift back immediately.

Concern filled Sam's face, causing him to start to rise from his seat. "You okay? You need a nurse, a doctor?"

Andy shook her head, her eyes squinting shut at the pain.

Not knowing what else to do, Sam reached out with his free hand, placing it over her clenched fist, trying in vain to take some of the pain away.

...

_End of Chapter Fourteen. _

_Well, what did you guys think of that one? Like it, hate it? _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	15. Chapter 15

_..._

_A Sam/Andy fic. _

_Chapter Fifteen. _

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1. Also, I don't own William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream", just borrowing a few lines. _

_..._

_A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful feedback so far, I'm glad you guys are still enjoying this story. _

_I'll respond to some reviews here: _

_**kdip4014:**__ Thanks for the review. Will she have to wait until she gets better? For the "good" stuff, yes, but I might throw in a little PG action before she gets out of the hospital ... we'll see. _

_**When I Make It Shine:**__ Thanks for the review! (Love the name, btw). I'm also looking forward to the Sam/Andy chemistry in season two - hopefully it will provide much inspiration for some new fics! Glad you're enjoying the story!_

_**Sam's Little Chippy:**__ Lol, "Titan" may be going a bit far, but thanks for the great review! I'm glad you're enjoying this story! I will be including some Andy/Dana moments in the next couple chapters, fear not! _

_**Alicia:**__ Thanks for the review. We'll have to agree to disagree on the first one - I do foster care, and have been told by children who have only known me for a few hours that they love me, and I am not related to them, nor have I played a drastic part in saving their lives. Bobby is a sick, nine-year old boy who's just discovered a long-lost sister who is doing what she can to save his life. Having him just say "I love you" was a bit of a restraint, to be honest. In regards to Tommy's promise to quit drinking: it won't be an easy road. I've heard many alcoholics make promises to quite drinking, completely detox themselves and their houses, and then a week or two down the line, they're right back to where they started. Right now, Tommy's words are just that - words. We'll have to wait and see how that plays out for the rest of this fic. Thanks again for the review! _

_**Everyone else:**__ Thanks for the wonderful reviews, I'm so happy you're enjoying this story! I'll see what I can do about making these chapters longer!_

_Well, that's enough out of me, let's get on with the rest of it! _

_I hope you guys like this, I know I'll love writing it. _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

...

Sam stayed with Andy that night until she fell asleep, not wanting her to be alone when she was in so much pain. They watched some crappy sitcom, joked heartily about the crappy jokes and bad lines. He tried to keep her spirits up by telling a few of his own, which received a few eye-rolls, but just as many smiles as well. He felt he'd done his part to brighten her day, and that made him happy.

As he drove home that night, Sam found himself wondered just when his evenings had become about making Andy McNally happy. By all rights, he should want to stay as far away from her as possible. She was the one who'd tackled him in an alley and arrested him, blowing his cover and eight months of hard work. She was the one who hadn't taken any of his bull, and made him talk to her about the case, when he really wanted to throttle her. She was the one that made his head spin all around ... maybe that was it. She got under his skin, made him do strange things that he wouldn't normally do ... like smuggling Twizzlers into a hospital, and calling Traci Nash and Tommy McNally for updates on her well-being.

He'd told himself many times that he only cared for her because she was _his_ rookie, _his_ partner. He told himself that he just wanted to look out for her, so that she didn't get herself hurt.

Well, she was hurting now. Not just the physical pain of the operation, that much was obvious.

He hadn't said anything to her, but he'd seen the way her eyes kept flicking to the door, and how she would rub her aching hip while her eyes stared off into the distance, lost in thought. She was missing someone, he assumed, he just didn't know who. The boy? Her sister? Her father? Her absentee mother?

Whoever it was, Sam hoped that they got their act in gear soon, and stopped by for a visit, even if it was only for a few minutes.

He couldn't bear to see his partner hurting, especially when he couldn't do anything to ease the pain. He couldn't admit it out loud, but she was more than just a partner to him ... so much more.

...

Andy slept fitfully that night. She was a tosser-and-turner, and every time she rolled her body, she would wake up with an unrestrained shout of pain. It was 3:45 in the morning, and she'd only gotten about two hours of sleep in total since Sam had left around 10:00. The other problem was that with the pain on her left hip, she had to sleep on her right side - with her back facing the door. She hated that. She'd always arranged her bed so that she could see the door and any windows. It was how she'd beaten her childhood fear of the dark.

She didn't honestly think that anything was going to happen to her in the hospital, with nurses and doctors and security officers around, but that didn't stop her irrational fear from manifesting. She needed to be in control, she needed to have some say over her situation.

It didn't take very long for a nurse to enter the room after Andy squeezed the call button down.

"Miss McNally, what do you need?" the nurse asked, checking the monitors before making her way around the bed so that Andy could see her. "Miss McNally, you're burning up!"

Andy was feeling hotter than normal, and a sheen of sweat had covered her body. "I n-need to turn ... th-the door ... n-need t-to see."

"Miss McNally, save your energy," the nurse stopped her. "You need to settle yourself down. Your body is trying to replace the missing marrow, and it's a taxing process. Have you been drinking enough water?"

Andy heard the question, but didn't answer. She'd been avoiding drinking much of anything, hating the embarrassment of being unable to make it to the restroom by herself.

"Miss McNally, how much have you had to drink since the marrow extraction?" the nurse asked again.

Andy only shivered in response, her fists clenching at the pain in her hip.

The nurse didn't wait any longer to try and get a response out of Andy. She paged Dr. Stevenson and called for an IV kit, then went into the bathroom to wet a cloth.

Andy started in surprise when the cold cloth touched her forehead, snapping her eyes open to look at the nurse.

"Miss McNally, your body is dehydrated," the Nurse - Sally, her nametag read - informed her. "You need to take in lots of fluid to off-set the marrow replacement, or you'll spike a high fever and go into shock. Do you understand what I'm saying to you?"

Andy nodded her head, the rest of her body shaking. The pain in her hip had become a constant throb, threatening to overtake what little focus she had left.

Dr. Stevenson arrived, checking Andy's stats and giving the nurse the okay to attach the IV bag. "Miss McNally, we're going to have to give you intravenous fluids for a while. Can you tell me on a scale of 1 to 10 what your pain level is at?"

Andy tried to speak, but her head was swimming with the exhaustion and pain, and all that escaped was choked off whimper.

"Prepare a sedative," Dr. Stevenson told the nurse.

Andy tried to tell him no, tried to say that she didn't want it, that she wanted to stay alert and in control, but the words wouldn't come out of her mouth. The dryness of her throat didn't help at all, and her last attempt at speech caused a series of frog-in-throat coughs that only heightened the pain in her hip with every bounce.

She barely registered the needle in her hand, for the IV, or the administering of the sedative that made her eyes droopy and her body slack.

The last thing she heard before the world went black was Dr. Stevenson requesting hourly reports on her condition.

...

" ... impression of her fantasy with bracelets of thy hair, rings, gauds, conceits, knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats (messengers of strong prevailment in unharden'd youth). With cunning hast though filch'd my daughter's heart, turn'd her obedience (which is due to me) to stubborn harshness."

Andy blinked her eyes open slowly, protesting the bright light that filled the room.

At some point, she'd been rolled so that she was flat on her back again.

"And my gracious Duke, be it so she will not here, before your Grace, consent to marry with Demetrius, I beg the ancient privilege of Athens."

Andy turned her head towards the voice, seeing a younger version of herself sitting on one chair, her feet sitting flat on another, with a book propped open on her knees. "Da-" Andy tried to speak, but her voice crackled, making her cough a little.

Dana looked over at Andy, closing the book with her finger between the pages, holding her spot. "Rise and shine," she replied, grabbing a cup of water off the table. "Bottom's up," she joked cheerfully, holding the straw against Andy's lips.

Andy furrowed her brow at the younger girl's actions, but graciously accepted the water. When she'd drunk her fill, she pulled back, attempting to clear her throat.

Dana set the cup back down on the small table beside her, pulling a bookmark out of her back pocket and sliding it into the page she'd left off.

Andy went over the words she'd been hearing, looking back at Dana. "A Midsummer Night's Dream?"

Dana nodded, setting the book down on the table. "I like to read."

Andy nodded with raised eyebrows, wondering what the girl was doing there.

Dana, seeing the question in Andy's eyes, replied, "Dr. Stevenson updated us on your little adventure last night. Figured you might want some company." She sat back down on her chair, brushing a hand through her shoulder-length brown hair. "Your dad left a message saying he'd be here around 10:30 to check up on you."

A glance at the clock told Andy that was less than fifteen minutes away.

"Also, Sam Swarek texted your phone a couple times and left a message. I think he wants you to call him," Dana told her.

Andy groaned, knowing she'd be getting a lecture when she talked to him.

"Is he that guy that was with you when I tried to break into your apartment?"

Andy nodded. "That would be him," she confirmed.

Dana grinned. "He's hot."

Andy snorted at that.

"What, you're saying he's not?" Dana challenged.

Choosing not to reply, Andy instead asked, "How's Bobby doing?"

The smile fell from Dana's face, but it was a look of serious contemplation, not sadness or regret. "They did the transplant last night, he's still asleep. We won't know for a while if the transplant was a success, or if his body will reject the marrow."

Andy hoped internally that his body wouldn't reject it.

"As much as I love talking about my brother, don't think I missed that little topic change," Dana spoke. "You and Sam ... there's a story there, isn't there?"

Andy rolled her eyes. "Not even. He's my training officer ... my partner. That's it."

An amused smile covered Dana's face. "Do people actually believe you when you say that?"

Andy looked down at her blanket, blushing slightly. "Usually."

"Come on, it's just us girls here ... fess up."

Andy shook her head. "Why does it even matter? He's my TO ... it's not like anything's even gonna happen."

Dana set her serious eyes on Andy, fixing her with a hard stare. "The most experience I have with hot guys and dating is what I watch on TV, or read in books ... I'm thirteen years old, and most of my time is spent in the children's ward. Give me a little vicarious action here, would you?"

Andy sighed, unable to keep a small grin from creeping onto her face.

"Aha! I knew there was a story there!" Dana cheered triumphantly.

"Would you keep it down?" Andy pleaded, glancing around.

"Oh, please! That redhead nurse was telling the short one that she hoped the hotty cop with the dimples would come back and visit you today ... it's no secret he's into you."

Andy's eyes widened at that.

"So, come on? Dish!" Dana urged.

Andy dropped her head back against the pillow, resisting the urge to scratch at the IV in her hand. "Fine ... did I tell you about the time I tackled him in an alley?"

Dana scooched her chair closer to Andy's bed, a wide grin on her face.

...

_End of chapter fifteen. _

_Well, what did you guys think of that one? Like it, hate it? _

_The Shakespeare lines are from Act 1 Scene 1 of "A Midsummer Night's Dream". _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


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